The New 76th Hunger Games
by Clove'sAllies
Summary: To show the districts that the capitol still reigns supreme they decide that after the second rebellion the Games must be bloodier than ever. 20 Children from each district will compete until only one boy and girl are left standing. Then these 24 preliminary winners must compete and battle in the Final Hunger Games for the year.
1. The New Hunger Games!

The 76th Hunger Games

The Rebellion has failed. Katniss has been captured and her public execution is to happen with the new Hunger Games victor present.

To have a new victor, the games need to be reinstated, bloodier and better than ever.

**Thus the New Hunger Games were born!**

A new game were the 24 tributes that compete to the death in the once a year spectacle would first have to prove themselves in a preliminary game with other children from their districts.

The male and female victors of these preliminary games would then go on to compete for the Capitol.

Snow reasoned however, that in order for this new more widespread method of killing he would have to give the districts more hope because otherwise so many more ruthless deaths of children would certainly wound the districts up into rebellion once again.

So it was decided that 10 boys and 10 girls from each district in Panem would fight in an arena and kill each other until 1 boy and 1 girl were the last ones standing.

Both of the courageous young tributes would then be groomed, trained, and released into a bigger arena with all of the other winners from the other districts and the Hunger Games would start anew.

But this time as an edge there could be more than one winner. Every year between 1 and 6 winners would be chosen by random choice. President Snow even decided that to make Katniss' pain even more unbearable she would decide how many tributes would survive the second challenge with the rolling of a die.

These are the New Hunger Games and these are the new rules.


	2. The Rules of the Game

**HI EVERYONE THIS IS MY SECOND CHAPTER EVER! Read and Enjoy! And Please Review!**

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5...4...3...2...Action!

"Hello citizens of Panem. I am here to announce that even through recent events and recent tragedy we will emerge unified and as a stronger country then before. To start this rebuilding process we must make sure that life resumes as normal for all of Panem."

Snow let the words sink in to his audience around the country as many figured out what he meant. The recent war had made some drastic changes to the older man. He had lost weight over the stress of the war, as well as now had omnipresent bags under his eyes. However despite all of this he still had an inner strength in his eyes. They shone like snake eyes full with malice, distrust, hate, and excitement to start the latest installment of his twisted games.

"Now then for life to resume as normal for our wonderful country the first and foremost thing will be the continuation of the Hunger Games. The Capitol is a patient parent yet we must put our foot down when our upstart children rebel against us. It is for this reason that I now have the privilege to announce the New Hunger Games!"

The Capitol audience present at the announcement was going crazy. After all of the rationing, suffering, and deaths they had to put up with and suffer with during the war they were finally getting their reward in the form of these new bloodier, violent games. Cladius Templesmith who apparently would be the host of these new games as well walked onto the stage and handed President Snow a piece of paper with the rules of these new games.

**"Now I President Snow of Panem will read the rules for the New Hunger Games on the 76th year and beyond:"**

**1. Instead of the normal 24 tributes involved in every games their will now be 240 that will compete every year.**

**2. At the reaping there will be ten young men and ten young women selected from each district to compete in their district's preliminary Hunger Games.**

**3. The Preliminary Games will be held at arenas used in past years. The preliminaries will end when there is only one boy and one girl that are left alive.**

**4. The two surviving tributes must be opposite genders. If one gender is eliminated before the other than the victor form that gender will be pulled out of the games. Ex: If say there are 2 girls surviving and 8 boys currently in a prelim Hunger Games and one of the girls is killed by one of the boys than the remaining girl tribute will be removed from the Arena via hovercraft and the remaining 8 boys will continue fighting until only one is left surviving. **

**5. The Prelims for all 12 Districts will run concurrently at different Arenas providing constant entertainment for both the Capitol and the Nation of Panem.**

**6. Betting is still allowed during the prelims. There will be no sponsors, mentors, sponsor gifts, or feasts during the prelims.**

**7. When the 20 prelim tributes are reaped there will no waiting period. They will say goodbye to their families and travel straight to the arenas where they will be lifted in their tribute tubes and the games will begin.**

**8. Because of the above rule there will also be no stylists, prep teams, interviews, chariot rides, or training before the games begin.**

**9. After all the Prelims are completed there will be a one week healing period for any injuries sustained in the prelims. If injuries cannot be healed than the tribute will have to compete with that injury.**

**10. After the one week healing period the tribute process will proceed like normal with a chariot ride the first night, then three days of training followed by training scores, the next day interviews, and finally the day after that the tributes will enter the arena.**

**11. Finally and the most exciting rule of all, to compensate for the amount of children that will be killed in the prelims there can be more than victor. After the bloodbath a random selection process will take place with the result of a number between 1 and 6. The number that is selected is the number of tributes that will become victors and will survive the New Hunger Games. All of these tributes will be treated as previous victors and receive money, go on the victory tour, and be able to live in the Victor's Village.**

"These are the rules of the 76th New Hunger Games ladies and gentlemen, and I'm sure as you all can see we will have a very interesting year planned and remember, may the odds be ever in your favor."

With that the president signed off the jubilation of the Capitol citizens and to the horror of all of those that live in the districts.

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**So I hope that you all enjoyed the rules and are greatly looking forward to these games. They should be VERY exciting and interesting. **

**-Brian**


	3. Meet the Head Gamemaker

"How is the development of the new arena coming along?" President Snow asked the Head Gamemaker Lavender Arne.

Lavender was a woman in her 40's who had been one of the 20 or so Gamemakers since she was about 25. She graduated from a top Capitol college and then got invited to become a Gamemaker due to her top grades and experience in both Engineering and Weapon Development. She was probably in the middle of the pack as for seniority and experience as a Gamemaker when the 75th Hunger Games rolled around. During the rebellion however many high profile capitol members were killed by the rebels. This included many of the Gamemakers and with Plutarch being killed as a rebel the most senior Gamemaker left was Lavender. She had hair the color of her namesake that was shoulder length which she kept it as it naturally was drab and straight. She also had genetically enhanced purple eyes and her face constantly shimmered with purple dust that shined and glowed every time a light hit her face. To complete her over the top purple obsession her skin was dyed light lavender.

"The Arena is almost finished but the large quantities we talked about are proving a hassle to move. Other than that the Mutation animals and the infrastructure of the rest of the arena is complete."

President Snow nodded his head and asked, "How are the ruins holding up?"

"At first many of them were falling apart from the weather damage but now that the barrier has been erected they have not been harmed."

"Good, good it's a gift that they were already there and we didn't have to build our own ruins."

"Yes president, I completely agree but after 76 years look at the type of shape that they are in!"

"Yes, definitely I agree. Well as of right now that is all Ms. Arne, you're dismissed."

And with that the lavender head Gamemaker excused herself knowing that keeping the president happy was the key to keeping herself alive.

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**That's your head Gamemaker for you. **

**Please review and maybe recommend how to make my story better! **

**Sincerely, Brian**


	4. The Arenas

**I can tell you all some more information about the games and get some hype up through President Snow's point of view. **

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"So Lavender, with the reapings starting tomorrow are you ready for the prelims to begin."

"Yes President, we have the arenas all ready and are timing all twelve of the reapings so that after the tributes say their goodbyes they will be transferred immediately to their respective arenas, have the trackers injected into their arms, and get their arena uniforms. The timing will insure that all the tributes will be lifted into their respective arenas at the same time. Watching 12 bloodbathes at once will be the perfect way to start this new era of Panem."

"Hmm, very well, how has the rehabilitation of the preliminary arenas for the prelim games working out? I decided that we would use old arenas; which ones have you selected?"

"Well Mr. President, besides the two arenas you especially requested; we have picked many different environments for the other arenas."

"What do you have so far?"

"A swamp, a tropical island, a tundra, a desert, a system of caves, an abandoned city, a mountain range, a savannah, a flowering meadow and the canyon arena."

President Snow just sat there surveying Lavender his eyes unmoving. After Lavender rattled off her list she just stood there silently. Realizing Snow was staring at her she looked at the floor feeling vulnerable and weak. Snow thought a bit more about the different Arena types and how they would be interesting to see tributes killing again. He knew all of the Arenas had been used before and were being used again for the preliminary games. However he could only remember some of the recent game numbers. He knew that out of the ten Lavender just said they included the 50th, 68th, and 71st games. The other two arenas that he had "requested" where the 74th and 75th games to remind both Panem and the rebels of their defeat at the capitols hands, and how they captured and were torturing Katniss.

"What years are they from?"

"Well in order of the list I just gave you the arenas are the 28th, 46th, 68th, 71st, 32nd, 43rd, 61st, 53rd, 50th, and the 21st games. This is addition to the 74th and 75th arenas that we are using."

"Very well then make sure that I am messaged the arenas blueprints and any muttations or surprises that you have planed."

"Yes president immediately." An awkward pause was present as Lavender stumbled over what to say next and did not want to anger the president at all.

Finally after many minutes of the awkward silence the president still staring at Lavender said, "You are excused Head Gamemaker." He spoke the last two words much more directed with venom in his words as to warn the Head Gamemaker of her life at stake.

And with that the Head Gamemaker who despite her age was as fidgety as a schoolchild swept out with upmost haste to put as much distance between her and the snake like president.

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**So there you have it! Those will be your twelve arenas for prelims. I'm not going to say what district gets what arena though you'll have to find out later when the prelims start. I'm also not going to reveal what the finals arena will be either. :)**

**Also REVIEW me chapter please! tell me how I'm doing and anything you think I should change or add to the story! **

**Thanks dear readers -Brian**


	5. Riley and Dia

**OK now! I am so excited to finally start the actual story! So without further or do...Let the Games Begin!**

Riley Paetin:

I threw the stupid harmonica away in disgust. It clattered across the shingles of the villa we owned in District One. I just sat there my arms wrapped around my knees with my head resting on my knees. Not even playing it could help me now; my entire brain was focusing on my fury and hatred of my so called "family." In the last three days I had only slept a few hours a night and the sleep I did get was nightmares about Mona with my sister Ari weaving in and out of them. It had been three days since I had enacted my brutal revenge. Three long days. The mayor of District One, Mayor Lombardi had come to the conclusion along with some of the other officials of the district that executing the top student of the career training school would be very disgraceful to the entire district. It would ultimately hurt the district in the long run by denying it one of the best tributes in two years when he volunteered as an 18 year old. Until that time I was on a parole. I couldn't get caught doing any crime or Ari and I would both be killed. And I couldn't let her be killed I just couldn't.

Finally the darkness seemed to be lightening up; I guess it was near dawn. Perfect. It was reaping day and the day that I would finally be able to get out of this district and either die or get control of my life back. I was so excited that as I was sitting on the roof I started jittering with excitement only because I knew that no one could see me while it was still dark out. I decided though that before it become light I should get down so Ari didn't discover me up here again. I frog walked over to my harmonica and then to the edge of the roof. I clambered down the vines around my window and quietly snuck in where I could get dressed for my big debut as a tribute.

Diamond "Dia" Ross:

"Diamond come down here your breakfast is getting cold!"

Uhhh...my idiot mother...I hated her. Her and my father. They had both pushed me to train for the Hunger Games when I was very little. Their number one lesson to me was to always stay mentally and emotionally guarded from those around me. Little did they know that I would apply that lesson to the two of them. I was sweet and kind to them. But every time the opened their mouth I just wanted them to shut up and like me the hell alone. The same could be said about my "friends" to an even greater extent. They all thought that I cared greatly for them when really I hated them all and just wanted to kill most of them. I thought about this as I walked downstairs and put on a smile to confront the annoying things that I called mother and father. (They had always insisted that I was formal with them and never called them "mom" or "dad") I just smiled and sat down to eat the cereal that my mother had bought on sale. Meanwhile my father started talking to me about how I should conduct myself for the reaping. My parents had both decided along with some training school advisors that I should volunteer as one of the first three girls so that I could intimidate the other girls with both my age and the fact that I was one of the most talented girls in my class at school. Hopefully if all or most of the other girls were younger or weaker my track to the finals would be simple and sure to attract sponsors by the bunches. I would also try to attract a boy to do my bidding throughout the prelims and we would help each other make it to the finals.

Breakfast passed by ever so slowly. My parents, mostly my father, droned on and on and about strategies and methods that we had talked about 100 times and that I already knew by heart. The whole time I smiled and nodded well secretly thinking of all the ways I could kill a person with the spoon in my hand.

Finally, "I have to go to the reaping! Do you want me to be late?"

My father answered in a unsurprised tone; "Go then, and remember that if you don't volunteer I never want to see you again."

I stood up and as I was walking to the door spitefully replied, "Bye Titus and Felicia." That should shut them up. As my mother gasped I opened the door and left the house walking briskly to the town square. On my way into the square I looked at a statue erected in the square. It was a statue of district One's first ever winner, Sylvia Marx, Winner of the 7th Annual Hunger Games. On the plague of the statue every winner's names from our district, along with their year had been won. The last one was Gloss in the 70th games. Now I was wondering if they were going to continue that tradition, even if there were multiple winners if they would acknowledge that as being the same as one ultimate winner. I guess they would have to...when they announced the changes a week ago they told us that the winners however many there were would not be ranked and would be equal as victors. After staring at the statue for a few minutes and thinking how wonderful it would be to have my name on it and rub that in my parents faces two of my "friends" came over and grabbed me from behind jokingly.

"Hey Dia! What's up?" Jasmine giggled out. God how I would love to stab that stupid smile off her face. Jasmine acted like we were best friends and to put up the facade I had created I acted similarly to her. "Let's go, all of our other friends are already here!"

"Oh my god! You're right, let's go!" I had to keep up this fake facade so I followed Jasmine into the crowd of children lining up for the reaping. We walked right to the 18 year old girls section and I kept my fake smile on the whole way as we greeted other "friends." They were all really nuisances and i really did hate them all. I just hoped they would be killed in the prelim hunger games. At least some of them hopefully.

"Hey look there." Jasmine pointed to that crazy kid Riley who was talking to his sister Ari. Riley was two years younger and while he was talented there was no way he was nearly as skilled as me. Ari was 19 and thus removed from the reaping. Jasmine then tugged on my arm and whispered, "I can't believe he has the nerve to show his face in public anymore. That jackass kills his whole family but his sister and gets away with it and he thinks he can just flaunt his freedom in front of the whole district."

I neither agreed nor disagreed with her. Personally seeing as I hated nearly everyone in my life I could see exactly how Riley had snapped when one of the two people that he did like (rumor on the street was that he loved her) was killed by the people that he hated. As recently as three days ago, his girlfriend and love of his life Mona was killed at night by a strike very like an assassination. Then rumors flew throughout our district that Riley's parents had hired the assassin as a way to get Riley to focus more on the games and get to the top or his class because he was and still is ranked at the bottom because Mona and Riley skipped school frequently. I have even seen them a few times laughing and joking as the quietly slipped out of school. Anyway after Mona was killed Riley went home and confronted his parents. No one knows what happened next. All that we know is that the next morning his parents and his two older brother's bodies were pulled from the house, dead. A deal was reached that in two years, provided the Hunger Games were still continuing Riley would volunteer for the Games as an 18 year old and give District One the best chance to win the games it had had in over ten years.

"I can't believe he actually thought he would show his face and get away with it. Damn I hope he's reaped so that someone can kill him." Edgar another of our "friends" had said. Everyone else agreed and continued chatting about how insane he was. All I could do was stare at him wondering and thinking about how much I wanted to kill the people I was with.

Riley Paetin:

While I was at the reaping I was given a wide berth by everyone around me. No one wanted to be near a murderer. I still believe I had a reason to do it, but of course no one would believe me. Whatever guess I'll just focus on the escort so they can start the damn thing.

"Welcome District One and Happy New Hunger Games!" Our escort Kalifa Sinistra said. She was died purple head to toe and including skin and hair but had planets and stars tattooed all over her body. I thought she looked bizarre, but then again every capitol official did. "Well then this year for the New Hunger Games the reapings will be a bit longer. First we will pick ten girls from the girls bowl and then we will move on to the boys. Volunteering is still allowed but the tribute that you volunteer for will be exempt from the reaping for the time they are picked. That means that they can still be picked again if their name has been entered more than once. No then without further or do let's begin the reaping and find our ten lovely girls who will compete in the games." The first two girls were boring, 2 girls under 15 who wouldn't last that long and would be killed easily.

Then the third girl, who was my age walked up proudly when one voice shouted out "I volunteer." Dia Ross strutted proudly onto the stage and glared at the entire district. She was two years older than me and pretty powerful. She was probably top ten for the girls in the District One training school. Not as powerful as Mona but still powerful she might do well in the prelims. The next three girls were all reaped. It seems like an 18 year old volunteering had frightened the competition. Girl seven and eight were from the training school but they were too young to be nearly as skilled as Diamond. The ninth girl was reaped and then someone volunteered. Quinn was 17 with auburn head and pretty tough. The way she glared at Diamond you knew that she thought she would come out on top.

Diamond "Dia" Ross:

When I volunteered all my friends gasped and were blown away. Jasmine whispered, "What are you doing." I just ignored her and walked up. She grabbed my arm. I turned around slapped her and then, tossing my hair walked up to the stage. The rest of the girls were uninteresting and would soon be killed, except for Quinn who was weak but might put up a decent fight. Finally the last girl.

Kalifa shouted, "And now for our final female tribute, Jasmine Solis!"

"Hahahaha." I started laughing at her misfortune and I was so happy that I could finally kill that wretched bitch. Jasmine walked on the platform mouth agape and just stared at me. I blew a kiss back to her.

"Now, that's exciting. Time for the boys," Kalifa said. She reached in and pulled out the first boy. "Skylar Howes!" A terrified younger boy walked up. He was shaking. After that I stopped paying attention, because after all the boys weren't my competition to make it into the finals, only the girls were. From the looks of it Skylar was only 12 or 13. No one volunteered. Then when the next boy a burly 16 was called up there were three volunteers. Seems like people had my strategy to. Volunteer for the biggest threats so that they can't compete and then let the younger kids that are reaped are forced to compete so they are easy to beat. The next 6 reapings went like that with three boys under 15 reaped and three older boys getting replaced by cocky volunteers. For the eighth boy there was another surprise. Edgar had been reaped. This will be wonderful, now I got to kill two of those obnoxious, annoying children. He was surprised and it looked like their had only been three volunteers this year because no one volunteered for Edgar. Well that sucks for him.

Riley Paetin:

Watching the boys get called up was interesting. I wasn't sure what I thought of how in two years I would have to volunteer. As the eighth boy, Edgar walked up, I thought about how I just wanted to be in the games now. I made my decision.

"Our final male tribute is-"

"I volunteer as tribute." I yelled. Everyone stared as I walked up onto the stage a big grin on my face. Mayor Lombardi glared at me furious that I had volunteered before I was 18. Kalifa didn't know and didn't seem to care it seemed.

"These are your 20 tributes for District One!" After that well the Reaping broke up and people scattered the 20 of us were ushered into the Justice building for last goodbyes. Only Ari said goodbye to me. She told me that I would be alright and she knew I could win. She gave me a quick hug and left. After that no one else came in to see me. I just looked around watching my rivals, my enemies say goodbye to their loved ones. It looked like there was only one other tribute who didn't have anyone with them. It was the first girl who had volunteered Dia. She was just staring out the window of the room thinking. Finally about 15 minutes later after the other tributes had all seen their "loving" families we were all asked to step outside.

Once out there I saw a hovercraft just sitting there. Wow it was impressive, we all boarded and they injected us with trackers. We all knew the rules. We were going straight to the arena, no training, no interview, nothing. On the trip over a capital trainer sat in the center of the room giving us very brief demonstrations of the survival skills and knife abilities. After the knife work he showed us basic plant knowledge, fire starting, and camouflage. It helped a bit but I knew all of it so it was more of a review to me. Finally we landed at the arena and were all taken off the ship and to our respective launch rooms to be sent up by the launch pads. There was only a peacekeeper in there who told me, "I'm only here to make sure you get dressed in your arena outfit and don't take anyone into the arena that isn't a token or the outfit." Silently I got dressed. Hiking Boots, khaki shorts, and a tan t-shirt. It looked like we were going somewhere dry and hot. Great. The peacekeeper finally told me to get in the tube. As we rose up I shut my eyes I've always been a little claustrophobic. I opened them when I felt the hot sun on my head and the hot breeze on my face. It was sweltering. I looked around at the 20 of us all in matching outfits. We were apparently standing in what appeared to be the bottom of a canyon. I was positioned on the side of the circle that I was facing down the middle of the canyon. My back was to the other side. Apparently there were only two ways out, well that or climb the walls which looked to be very challenging and daunting.

"WELCOME! Ladies and gentleman to the 76th District One Prelims!" Oh god Kalifa was the announcer. "Remember only one boy and girl can survive and make it to the grand event. May the odds be ever in your favor!" She sqeaked in a capitol accent. The countdown begin 60...59...58.

I looked around at the competition. On either side of me were two younger kids, so I could probably run to the cornucopia first. I decided I would be the career I'd been training for and kill the bigger guys first. After that...well I'll worry about that when it comes.

5...4...3...2...1! I took off sprinting towards the cornucopia.

**Well that's the first chapter! Sorry that it's so long but I know that you all know how the reaping works I can make the chapters quicker and easier to read. Also, sorry if I skimped at the end but I really want to start the prelim games. **

**Please reveiw, review, review, I love seeing that I have new reviews on the story.**

**I'll get the next chapter to you soon. The District One prelims! Woop Woop! **

**Sincerely, Brian**


	6. Prelims in the Canyon

**First Prelim Chapter!**

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Diamond "Dia" Ross:

After my tube rose from the ground, I stared at all of the other competitors. The murderer Riley was six spots to my left. Edgar was about five spots to my right. Quinn was next to Edgar. I couldn't find Jasmine so I'm assuming she's on the other side of the cornucopia and blocked from my view. I looked around at the canyon when I heard Kalifa start talking. After she was finished and the countdown begin I started racking my brains as to what Year this arena was from. I remember it was older like the 20-29th year because District One had a tribute get all the way to the final three. Oh well I would think about that later after the bloodbath, right now I needed to focus on keeping my innocent demeanor up. I was no good at throwing weapons so I decided to grab a sword and maybe some knifes and then free the cornucopia.

4...3...2...1...I took off sprinting. My long black hair, which I had tied in a ponytail behind my back, was flying behind me as I ran. As I was running the boy next to me, the first boy to volunteer, got a little too close for comfort. I slowed down and when he moved to get in front of me I slammed into him knocking him to the ground. I quickly got up and ran to the nearest knife rack. I grabbed the first four knives and then ran to grab a backpack and a hat that would probably help protect me from the harsh sun. I dodged a boy who I thought was running towards me but actually threw his spear over me straight into Skylar, the first boy that was reaped. "(Oh, right the boys only have to eliminate all the other boys to make it to the final, killing girls doesn't really help them.)" I thought as I continued weaving a dodging. Once I had to parry a slash to the leg from Quinn. We started sparing I pretended to be weaker than I was so it seemed like she had the upper hand.

Then a rock hit her in the back. I looked over and saw Jasmine yelling to me. "Come on Dia! We need to leave." She was so emotional her voice was cracking. Dumb Bitch. At least she was good for something though with that rock. I nodded and ran away from the cornucopia, hearing Jasmine panting behind me as we ran.

Riley Paetin:

On my way to the cornucopia I punched a younger girl who was running next to me. I immediately ran to a crate that had ropes and wire in it. I grabbed some of the supplies for snares later and then grabbed two daggers. At this point others were grabbing weapons at the cornucopia as well. I ran up behind the nearest career and stabbed him in the neck. He fell to the ground dead. I picked up a swear he was admiring as another boy, this time a younger one who was reaped ran towards me with a sword he could barely hold up. He tried to stab me and the sword weighted his hands down to the ground and he pitched forward. I took the advantage and stabbed the point of the spear into his upper back, right under his neck. I then picked up a nearby empty knapsack and filled it with rope and wire. I moved over to a barrel of food and started filling the bag with some food to. Finally I started to run out of the mouth of the cornucopia and grabbed an empty canteen on my way out. As I ran exited the cornucopia I saw that there was only three people left at outside, Quinn and two of the older boys who had volunteered. Quinn was directing the two boys, who had bows how to shoot someone who was climbing up the canyon wall. The figure was moving slowly and while he was high was still within shooting range. After about three shots one of the boys finally hit the climber in the back and he fell 50 feet. After he fell he moved no more. Quinn then turned around to me and looked at me with a curious expression on her face.

"Do you want to work with us?" Both boys turned around and just glared at me.

"We don't need him why don't we just kill him." One of the boys responded.

"No," Quinn said, "The four of us can hunt down everyone else that needs to be killed."

"Fine," I agreed. "Who else is dead?"

This time one of the boys responded. "Well the three of us managed to kill Skylar, one of the younger boys, one of the younger girls and two of the older girls that were reaped. Oh, and we just managed to kill that kid Edgar who was climbing the canyon wall."

I thought about what they had just said and did the math. "So that leaves five boys left and seven girls."

Diamond "Dia" Ross:

Me and Jasmine had gone about 500 yards from the cornucopia when I told her we should wait and watch. With only two ways out of the canyon someone would have to walk by us and we could ambush them. As it looked like the bloodlust at the cornucopia had finally ended there were two girls running our way. I recognized them. They were the two girls that were in training school for the careers. However they were both only 14 so they really hadn't learned that much. "Wait behind me Jasmine well ambush them." She just nodded in response clearly shaking. What a weakling. God! I sat there crouching behind a stone next to the wall of the canyon. I gripped the knife clearly. When those two girls, now having slowed to a walk, went by I pounced. I tackled the nearest one to the ground and like we had planned Jasmine held her on the ground well I charged toward the other girl. She was so scared she tried to run. I threw the knife and it flew into her ankle. Well not the back of her knee where I had aimed but I should be glad I hit her at all. I pulled out another knife and stabbed her in the head killing her. I turned around to see Jasmine in a wrestling match with the other young career. Just as I was running over she got on top of Jasmine and started punching her into the ground. I quickly ran over and decapitated her.

"AHHHHHH! I'm covered in blood. Oh my God! Get it off me." She screamed

"Jasmine shut up!" I yelled at her. I slapped her and she squealed and fell on the ground. "Let's go we need to keep moving." We picked up the packs of the two dead girls, reorganizing them and started walking away with both packs. The ground soon started to angle uphill and we continued on. Finally when we reached the crest of the hill and could see all around us. On one side the canyon where the cornucopia was and that in the other three directions there was flat arid land. The only thing keep popping out of the ground were towers of red rock. Some were straight up like stalagmites, while others where giant formations. Meanwhile I didn't see a tree or body of water in sight. Crap. These games would be long.

Riley Paetin:

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM! The last four cannon strikes in a line of ten. That meant that two others had been killed away from the cornucopia. Good. The other three had decided to scale a cliff to get out of here as walking out we could fall easy play to a ambush. One of the boys started climbing first, followed by Quinn, then me and in the rear another of the boys. Before we started the climb I decided it was time for a snare. Quinn saw me pull out the wire so I set up a snare around the cornucopia to kill anyone who tried to get inside its mouth, which is where we had piled up the goods that we couldn't carry. Well doing this I snuck some wire inside my sleeve. Then we started to climb. I rigged up a trip wire that when pulled send snap back harshly and would dislodge whom ever had pulled it. I snuck past my own trap but the boy below me well he didn't notice it. We heard his scream as he plummeted 100 feet into the ground and landed with a crunch. BOOM! And there's the cannon.

"Keep climbing," Quinn shouted! Finally after another half hour we reached the top and flopped up to catch our breathes.

After glancing around at the wasteland we decided we should make for some shade. Suddenly I spotted her. One of the girls sleeping in the shade of the nearest rock formation. What an idiot, sleeping with enemies all around. The career trainee pulled out a spear and declared, "She's my kill." He walked toward her and one quick throw later another cannon went off. BOOM! As we looked through her supplies I saw she was around 16, one of the older girls to be reaped. Soon night begin to fall. It was hard to imagine that earlier today I was sitting on my roof at home playing the harmonica. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

Diamond "Dia" Ross:

That night Jasmine and I watched the anthem play in the night sky. When Edgar's face popped up Jasmine started crying. I smiled and chuckled softly to myself. No surprises that Quinn and Riley were still alive. I started a fire to attract other tributes that we could lure in and then kill. Jasmine kept the first night watch. I knew she wouldn't kill me because she didn't the spine or willpower to survive the games on her own. When Jasmine woke me up I diligently took my watch. Then that morning we packed up and continued hunting. Suddenly, the cannon went off. "Well that makes 7 left."

"Yep. Thank god."

"Let's walk along the side of the canyon, that way we can corner others if they try to ambush us." Trudging along for hours made us weary and tired. Finally I spotted one. A girl walking in the bottom of the canyon. Based on her small stature she must have been about 12 or 13. Of course neither of us had a distance weapon like a bow. Even if we did though both of us weren't good with distance so we probably would not be able to kill the tribute. "We'll follow her and when she comes out we'll kill her."

Riley Paetin:

Upon waking up that morning the three of us had agreed that we should walk back to the edge of the canyon because that was the most likely place where tributes would be. When we reached the canyon Quinn spotted a bridge in the distance. The bridge was a rickety wood one made of what looked like older wood. Once we got to the bridge I came up with a plan. "We should split up. I'll stay on this side so if someone comes along I can kill them. You two should go search the other side and then come back at nightfall."

"Definitely. Well then, see you soon." With that Quinn turned around and started carefully making her way across the bridge. The career boy just scared at me, trying to analyze me. Finally he turned around and made his way across the bridge. He was right to mistrust me though. As soon as they were far enough away I went to the center of the bridge and started winding my wire around the bridge. I had it rigged so when someone crossed the bridge they ran into a wire. When the wire was tugged it would be pulled taunt and cute the rope at the bottom of the bridge. This rope connected the planks of wood so if the rope was cut the bridge would collapse and split to both sides sending whoever was on it falling to their death. After rigging the bridge I waited.

A few hours later I stood up; there were figures on the horizon, but on my side of the canyon. Damn. That meant it wasn't Quinn and the boy. There appeared to be two of them. I stood up and stared at them maybe I could intimidate them. I realized that it was two girls. I knew both of them. Dia and her friend, Jasmine I think her name was. I would have to kill Dia first; Jasmine would be very easy to kill.

They stopped walking when they were about fifteen feet away. Dia spoke up first, "We don't have to fight, the boys and girls are on different competitions so there is no point in killing each other. We're hunting anyway." She pointed down the canyon at a younger girl who was walking alone.

"Need some help?" I asked. Jasmine looked outraged that we were teaming up. "If I kill the girl will you leave me alone and not come back this way?"

"Sure that makes perfect sense; but I wanna see you kill her."

"Fine, you have anything explosive or long distance weapons."

"Why would we give them to you if we did?" Jasmine replied. Dia glared at her and tightened her grip on the dagger in a way that suggested she would like nothing more than to sink the dagger into Jasmine's head.

"So I can kill the girl for you. Do you have anything that could start a fire like flint?"

"Yeah we do. Here." She took the flare out of her backpack and threw it to me.

"Excellent. Stay here." I looked over the edge and found a foothold that would allow me to easily climb down about 10 feet and get a better look. Once I had climbed that far I went to work with some oil I had grabbed from my pack. I poured it over some nearby rocks that were on the edge or the ledge I was standing on. I started striking the flint on a dry part of the oiled rock and set the oil ablaze. I slowly kicked each of the rocks over the ledge as they each caught fire.

"Ugh!" Looks like I had hit my target. I looked over at the girl lying there moaning. It looked like she had seen the first rocks fall and ran from them only to be hit by a smaller rock on the head. Even though the cannon hadn't gone off she would be dead in no time. I started to climb back up the side of the canyon. Right as I climbed over the edge of the canyon the Cannon went off. BOOM!

"Told you I could kill her."

"Fine you proved us wrong. Keep the flint. It's your reward. Let's go Jasmine." The two girls walked away, Dia strutting proudly and Jasmine looking sour faced at being ordered around. I hate some more food and waited for my allies to come back. BOOM! Another cannon, that makes only five of us left. and if I'm correct as to who has died there's two boys and three girls left. Less than 30 minutes later I heard the third cannon for that day. I sat there thinking. This cannon means that either one of my allies is dead or Jasmine or Dia got killed in some way. Well I don't see a hovercraft so that must mean that the other career boy or the younger boy has to still be alive. Wait there is something on the horizon. Oh crap it's only my annoying allies coming back. Well better get ready to act like I didn't bobby trap the bridge to kill them.

Quinn started walking across first followed by the boy. Perfect they would both die at once.

"Did you kill anyone?" I asked them.

The career boy responded, "Yeah we managed to kill the younger boy so it's just you and me. We need to help Quinn win though before we fight to the death."

"Thanks boys." Quinn cheerfully responded. Then she looked down, right where I had extended the wire across the bridge. Crap! She sees the wire. Crap! Crap, crap, crap! Instead she moved her eyes from the wire and pointed to the dead girl and the still burning rocks at the bottom of the canyon. "What happened there?"

"I called her with a rockslide."

"Hmm not bad murderer," The career responded looking at the girl. As he continued to look over the body Quinn slipped one leg up and then over the wire then she brought the other leg over. She smiled mischievously at me and continued walking along the bridge.

"Come on then let's get a move on." Quinn was already at the end of the bridge and was now on the rock standing next to me. I just stared at her my eyes wide in surprise. Was she really going to kill him? Great Iooks like I'm going to the final!

"Yeah your right, I'm coming" the career said. He walked another four feet and felt a tug. He looked down while simultaneously moving forward and realized what was happening to late. His eyes met mine for a second with pure hatred in them. Then he plummeted down. He didn't scream at all he just fell the whole length of the canyon. Hitting the bottom he crumpled and my final cannon went off. I smiled, thrilled that I had won the prelim. A Hovercraft appeared moment later above our heads. I turned to Quinn.

"Good luck, take all of my supplies. I'll see you late." I told her. Honestly I didn't really like her and actually hoped that Dia would win. As I threw my backpack down on the ground to Quinn a ladder was extended from the ship. I grabbed a hold of it and was brought up into the sky.

Diamond "Dia" Ross:

After walking away from Riley we found shade and luckily a small spring which we used to fill up our canteens. Jasmine then started bitching.

"Why didn't we kill him? He would be such easy prey to kill. You could kill him in one stab." She ranted.

I couldn't believe it! Jasmine was saying we should have killed Riley because I could have killed him easily. She would just get by on my work again! That little bitch! I was finally fed up with her. She had always been annoying and obnoxious. Now she was trying to use me for her own gain! I had to kill her no. "Shut up you little Slut!" I leapt on her and pinned her to the ground. Screw being the innocent girl I was going to torture her till she died.

"Dia! What are you doing!"

"Shut up you little bitch! I've always hated you! EVERY DAY I HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOU WHINE AND TALKED AND COMPLAIN AND GOSSIP! I HAVE WANTED TO DO THIS FOR YEARS!" With that I grabbed her long hair and cut it with my knife so she was left with very little hair. Then I took a smaller knife I had, a paring one used for food and started cutting her stomach up. Not enough to kill her, Heavens! It would be too soon but enough to cause red lines to appear through the fabric of her shirt. After watching her bleed and moan in five minutes I cut both her wrists with my knife. Then I stood up and went to the pool of water. I washed myself of Jasmine's blood and put both of our supplies into my own backpack. As I walked over to her she was moaning still her eyes fluttering open every few seconds. She was surrounded in a pool of her own blood. I crouched down beside her.

"Die trash!" I yelled and stabbed her in the neck. Then her cannon went off. I stood up relieved that she was dead. I decided to get a nice long drink and start walking towards the canyon again. When the canyon finally came into sight I heard another cannon. A few minutes later a hovercraft zoomed in and picked a figure up into the sky. After the boy was brought into the hovercraft I heard Kalifa's voice over the speaker of the arena.

"Congratulations remaining female tributes. You are the final two for the females. We have our male victor, Riley Paetin, and need a female to join him in the final. Now then, Quinn, if you look to your right far away along the canyon, you will find your opponent. May the odds be ever in your favor!"

Damn. I saw her look over and immediately spot me. Then she started charging. She had a sword in one hand and a spear in the other. I put my back down and grabbed two knives that I was confident I could wield well enough to kill her. I started running to meet her. When we were within 20 feet of each other she stopped tested the spears weight and threw it at me in a perfect spiral. I side stepped it and just missed getting grazed by it. As I threw myself to the side I lost my balance. I regained a foothold on the ground just in time to see Quinn, five feet away, the sword over her head, yelling. She brought the blade down and I parried in with my two knives by crossing the blades. I forced the knives back so Quinn's sword flew back knocking her off balance. I quickly jabbed with my right and hit her in the side, but only lightly. She managed to swing the sword around so that it was homing in on my head from the left. I ducked and used my left knife to stab her in the ankle from behind. I had learned this was a valuable move as it severed the Achilles tendon. Quinn fell on her back with a gasp. I cut the inside of her thighs and then reached to stab her in the stomach. She just moaned. She stared at me, and with her last breath she picked up the sword and slashed my shoulder. I cried out in pain but managed to plunge my knife deeper into Quinn's chest. I heard the finale cannon go off. Then I rolled myself off of the dead girl looked up at the hovercraft that had appeared above me and promptly passed out.

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**Yay! First Prelim Games Done! Say goodbye to Riley and Dia though because we won't see them again until after all the preliminaries. **

**Also...yeah sorry if this chapter was really long.**

**Remember I still need four male tributes for district 3, 5, 6 and 11! PM then to me! I only have two more chapters before I NEED a district 3 boy.**

**Remember to reveiw, review, review, I love seeing that I have new reviews on the story.**

**I'll try and post the district 2 chapters as soon as I can! **

**Sincerely, Brian**


	7. Noctis and Candace

**Hi Everyone! So new Chapter! Without further or do let's begin!**

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Noctis Faith:

Walking into the center of town today was...interesting to say the least. Everyone was on edge. Normally in District Two everyone was fine with the reaping. Sure about half the people in the district hated the games on principal and wished that they had been abolished. But like I said, that's only half. The other half comprised of volunteers. Those who trained to be peacekeepers one day, and found they had an extraordinary talent with weapons. They all dreamed of competing in the Hunger Games and becoming victors. Yet few in our district actually got the chance. With there being multiple volunteers every year, the process was complicated and required recommendations from the training school among other things. Who the masters of the training school picked though always got the chance to compete. That's what happened two years ago with District Two's tributes, Cato and Clove.

This year though there would be ten times as many tributes and that meant that no one was safe. Rumor on the street was that there were 4 girls and 5 boys who wanted to volunteer. And those were the ones who had been approved for this year. The training school was constantly churning out tributes to compete year after year. Some were actually abstaining this year to see how the new games would work. But either way with only 11 volunteers there was still 9 children that would need to be reaped. Well as long as it wasn't me or any of my friends I would be good. Amanda, May, Leaf, I just hoped that none of them were reaped. May couldn't fight to save her life. Leaf was at least athletic and would do decent. But Amanda she was something else. Like me she had been entered into the training school to be trained as a Peacekeeper. Also like me we were average, could with a few weapons but not outstanding in any particular area.

I reached up to play with my hair. Today like most days I had decided to spike the front of my strawberry blond hair. When I was nervous I would often reach up and grabbed the front part of my jelled hair and run my fingers along it, as if reaffirming it was still there and spiky.

"Noctis!" Amanda came out of nowhere and took my breath away in a backbreaking hug. Man, that was one of the things I loved about her. Leaf and May were following her through the crowd.

"Well, look at the little lovebirds!" Leaf shouted, attracting a lot of attention. As I blushed Amanda just smiled shamelessly. God, another thing I love about her.

"Anyway, besides embarrassing the two of you we should get to our spots for the reaping!" We all agreed and started walking to the 17 year old pen in the square to get ready for the reaping. It was May that spoke up again. "So what's Vandalia doing to prepare for the reaping this year?" Vandalia, my twin sister. But unlike me she was not in the training school, she was in the District Two high school getting an education to become an upper-class businesswoman. She sure had a bright future ahead of her, being as smart as she was. Unlike me and my older brother, Jay, who were happy and content to follow in our fathers footsteps of being blacksmiths for the districts. We took our places at the reaping though, talking about who would volunteer, and which ones had the best chance of winning. Never thinking that the four of us would be in danger.

Candace Night:

Today was the day. I was exhilarated. I was prepared. I was a volunteer.

I had been preparing for two years, since I was 16, to volunteer for the Hunger Games and come home a champion. I've had my outfit picked out for months and after taking a quick shower I was pulling on the blue strapless dress I went to the mirror and tried to fix my hair. My long blond hair with streaks of brown had been cut in a way that my bangs looked awful. I decided to twist the bangs to one side and put some quick dabs of foundation on. I still looked awful, what with the scar from my left temple across my face to my right jaw line and missing two front teeth. I thought I looked awful but there was no way to fix my scar and getting fake teeth was very expensive and we couldn't afford it.

Well, like I always told myself I had to look on the positive side and be excited for the reaping. On the way out of my house I saw my lazy ass brother Marco.

"Hey, Candace, when you win these games were gonna get a huge house and then I'll never have to work again. We will be in the clear. Yeah!" This was all fastly spoken and very slurred. Oh Marco, my lazy, idiot brother who just drank all day and all night. My family had tried to get him to a clinic but nothing could be done. Well if I did win, then rest assured that this drunk would not be getting a penny out of me without him getting a job and getting sober.

"Sober up and get the reaping you lazy ass!" I yelled at him. As much as I liked living to the fullest I could still be very mean. I decided on a light breakfast of some granola bars which I ate as I made my way to the square for the reaping.

"Candace! It's your big day, are you ready?" My two best friends Ruby and Gaby came up to me.

"Yes I'm so excited! It'll be so much fun!" The three of us collapsed into a fit of giggles. "We chattered all the way to the reaping, talking about this person and that gossip."

Finally, about half an hour later our district escort Maximillion, in gold suit, with matching hair and even matching teeth. Dear god the capitol snob looked like a dumbass. "Well, hello District 2! Aren't we all excited for the bloodier, gorier, and more violent hunger games this year! The 76th Annual New Hunger Games!" He spoke with that damn shrill accent that all capitol people spoke with.

"With 20 tributes for this year though we need to get started! So then ladies, hope that you will be picked!" He walked over to the giant reaping bowl, about twice the size it normally was. He reached down and pulled his hand out with three slips; but no sooner had he turned away from the reaping bowl when about 10 girls yelled, "I volunteer." Maximillion scanned the crowd. "I think you, you, and...you." He pointed to the way back.

Three girls flounced on stage, smiling and grinning for the cameras but hardly giving each other any notice. I knew all three of the girls well. They all had been to training school with me and all had trained their entire lives on this moment. Callista, Meredy, and Heather. All three were 18 and all three had been competing since they were 12 to be the best in their class. Even for someone like me, prepared to volunteer, the sight was intimidating as these three girls glared at the districts teenage females. I can't even imagine what the other girls in the district thought. The next girl was reaped by Maximillion and not a single girl volunteered.

Maximillion scanned the crowd, "Really? Not one single volunteer? You were all eager just five minutes ago." The small girl walked on stage and squealed when she walked by Callista. She ran to her spot with her hands covering her face and it looked like she was weeping silently. That poor, poor girl I thought. The next two girls where the same. The three of them looked about 13 or 14 and all quivered on stage knowing they would not survive these games. I felt bad for them I really did. I was so engrossed in my own thoughts about these games that I didn't even hear the next name being called. It was Ruby.

"Huh! Oh my god! What should I do? No, no, no I don't wanna die!" My best friend starterd sobbing.

"I volunteer!" The words were out of my mouth as soon as I looked at her. My first thought was, crap what the hell am I doing? Then it hit me, I wanted to volunteer anyway so this would be better than volunteering, it could definitely get my sponsors when I make it to the finals! Excellent. I walked up on stage and returned the glares of Callista, Meredy, and Heather. Maximillion wrapped his arm around my shoulder, "What's your name dear?"

"Candice Night," I replied moving my mouth as little as possible to conceal my lack of two front teeth. I grinned but kept my lips shut to hide my teeth.

Now then our next tribute. "Vandalia Faith!"

Noctis Faith:

I froze. No, no, no not her. Anyone but her. My sister, my twin sister, I couldn't do anything without her. Then from the girls section I heard a voice I knew all too well. A voice I loved, "I volunteer as tribute." No, no, no, NO, NO, NO! Then I saw her walking on stage, the girl I loved, Amanda. I couldn't believe she had volunteered. She knew I loved her, how could she do this to me! She got on staged and stared off into space, avoiding my gaze. I eventually just stared at the ground and didn't even pay attention as they called up the last two girls, who I later would see were 12 and 16. Neither of them were careers. Well that left only four careers for Amanda to fight through so maybe...

"Now then let's start with the boys!" Maximillion crowed. God I hate these stupid capitol punks. They think they own everything in the districts and our pain and torment is pleasurable to watch. Leaf came up to me and wrapped me in a bear hug. He didn't even say anything because we both knew that I would not get Amanda back.

Suddenly Leaf stopped hugging me. "Face the stage man a peacekeeper is glaring at us pretend, like your paying attention." I quickly hastened to face the stage. It looked like the first four male tributes had already been picked and boy were they intimidating. Two 18 year olds who were best friends by the names of Pallas and Mars and two 17 year old careers whom I had never really gotten to know. All four flexed their muscles and grinned smugly across District 2's population. The next tribute was a 16 year old boy, untrained but in good shape. He still wouldn't survive the bloodbath, not with this crowd of killer careers. The next boy was reaped but then volunteered for by a boy named Elliot. Elliot was only 14 which was a shocker but apparently he was one of the most brilliant recruits the training center had ever produced. I stared back at Amanda still avoiding my gaze and just blown away that she would volunteer. The next two boys to be reaped were both 15 and knew by looking at the careers that they would be mincemeat. One of them cried standing on stage. The next boy was even younger, as he was 14. The final boy broke my heart. He was only 12. I felt heartbroken. Looking at Amanda I knew what she would have wanted me to do.

"I volunteer!" The rest was a blur. Standing up there with 19 other kids, knowing only 2 of us would survive the next few days. As the square started to empty they let out families and friends come on stage. Amanda ran to me and wrapped me in a hug. "Noctis, I love you so much." The whole time during goodbyes I never let go of her. Not when Leaf and May came, or my family, or her family, not even when Vandalia gave Amanda a hug with tears in her eyes. Finally they led the 20 of us into a waiting hovercraft to an unknown fate, and an unknown arena.

Candace Night:

My family was fine with goodbyes. Sure my mom cried and my still hung-over brother was sad but we had talked about it and they knew I was going to volunteer. When Maximillion told us all we had to leave the stage Gaby and Ruby came up to me and wrapped me in a huge bear hug.

"Good luck Candice!" "We know you can do it and we'll be rooting for you the whole time we promise!" "Wait! One more thing! Thanks for volunteering for me Candice." I smiled at them this time a full smile and I turned around only to see my enemy who gave me my scars, Taya.

"Here. As your token. Good luck." Taya turned around and walked away. I stared after her, then looked at what she put in my hand. A small blue feather necklace from when me and Taya were 6. We were so little back then and were best friends. I guess this was Taya's way of apologizing to me for everything. Though I forgave her I still couldn't trust her and going into these games I knew that I couldn't trust anyone anymore.

After being elevated into the hovercraft we sat in our seats and were injected with trackers. There were demonstrations by a trainer but I didn't pay attention. I knew all of the information already. Finally after five minutes of me staring at the floor we were brought into our individual rooms to get our outfits for the games. In this case they were boots, mid calf socks, shorts, and tan tank tops. After trying everything on I sat there thinking over potential strategies for the prelims. Finally, I was asked to enter my tube. As I rose I took a deep breath and told myself I could do this.

Finally Sunlight, and heat, oh god the heat. I looked around and saw that we were in a huge field with Savannah grass everywhere. There was very little shade and I could only see two or three trees. Crap. This was bad. The Gamemakers put District 2 here on purpose. They want a full out bloodbath, with nowhere to run or hide. Well then there gonna get a bloodbath. And with that, I leaned forward and readied myself to run.

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**Don't Hate me! Sorry this chapter had a decreased writing quality. The ending was bad because, well I really wanted to get it up since you are all long overdue for another chapter which I do apologize for. This week has just been very busy and has not allowed me to write as much as I wanted to. **

**Thank you to all of you who wished we well at prom I actually had a great time and am now ready to graduate high school. Also nbd but I won prom king, so yeah that was pretty awesome. **

**Anyway I'm leaving for vacation Friday and won't be back till Monday. :( So no updates until then.**

**Review, review, review Everyone! What do u think of Noctis and Candace? Anyway I'll see you all later :) Have a good memorial day weekend.**


	8. The Careers of District 2

Candace Night:

Leaning, preparing to run, all I could think was _why_. This was probably the worst situation I could be in. My strategy with so many careers had been to hide nearby during the bloodbath, (preferably climb a tree, I was super good with climbing) and then when the careers either left the bloodbath or went hunting I would gather what supplies were left at the cornucopia.

10…9…8…7

_SHIT!_ I've been thinking too much. Well looks like I'm running from the bloodbath. And concretely deciding, I turned my back on the circle of careers and faced into the wide-open savannah.

Noctis Faith:

I could only think about Amanda. My job here was to ensure her safety. I had to protect her, and if I couldn't….I can't even imagine it. I looked for her as soon as I came out of the ground. Damn sun, I thought. I had to bring up my hands to cover my eyes. I finally found Amanda. Damnit. She was nearly opposite me and it would be very hard for me to reach her if I tried to go through the center of the cornucopia. I waved to her and luckily she saw me because a few seconds later she waved back. Thank god.

3…2…1...and I bolted. I slowed down from a full out sprint and slightly changed courses, veering to the left. Running around the cornucopia would be more prudent than running straight through the supplies and getting attacked by anyone, particularly the careers, who reached them at the same time that I did. I didn't think thought that anyone would attack me without weapons on their way to the cornucopia. And that's where the muscular arm of a career clotheslined me. My feet went flying forward and I fell on my back, hard. I didn't see who had downed me but it must have been a boy who was at least my age, and a fair amount bigger. I had to scramble to get up but luckily the boy had ran to get weapons and left me alone. Amanda grabbed both my arms and shook me, "Come on!"

She pulled me by one hand and started running away like mad from the cornucopia. Still dazed I had to be pulled for a few seconds before I realized what was happening and started to run. I tried to survey the horizon to find somewhere to run to but was unable to see anything in the grasslands besides lone trees. Cursing about the luck of cover I almost missed it when Amanda yelled, "Dive!" She dove head first to the ground and I followed suit, only to avoid the arrow that would have surely hit me.

"Thanks," I muttered, ashamed. I was so preoccupied with saving my girlfriend during these games and what was happening? She had so far saved me TWICE! I looked at her to say something, and for the first time I noticed something I had never seen in Amanda's eyes before, fear. She was never afraid and she looked so terrified in that very instant. In that moment I realized why I had volunteered. It was to protect the petrified girl in front of me.

"Come on. Crawl. They won't be able to see us through the tall grass." At least I hoped. The grass was three feet tall on all sides so unless someone walked into us we should be hidden from a distance. And slowly we begin to crawl away from the yelling and screaming that was the bloodbath of District 2.

Lavender Arne: (Before the tubes were brought up)

Lavender was nervously standing in the control room at the Capitol. This year though there was such a flurry of activity and excitement as instead of one countdown for the Hunger Games starting there was one countdown going on for 12 different arenas. The tributes, all 240, had been accounted for and were currently under the arena getting ready and dressed, for when in five minutes we would raise them into the arena to have 12 continuous bloodbaths begin. The TV stations would display four arenas at a time to show the most bloodiness possible. Plus they had decided that while some prelims would wrap up within a day or two, others might take upwards of a week.

This would allow endless recaps and viewing of each prelim multiple times before even the chariot races begin. The speculation would be endless. The articles published would be endless. But right now I had to focus to watching and overseeing twelve bloodbaths at once. I was excited for some of the districts more than others, mainly the three career districts and districts 7, 9,10 and 12. As such those were the districts I watched from the command room, while my fellow gamemakers all picked which districts they wanted to watch.

I held up my arm to get the attention of everyone in the room. "Raise the tributes!" 60…59…58…57…56…

Now I just had to wait and let nature take its choice. 5…4…3…2…1…

About 20 minutes later the country had seen as much bloodshed as durng the rebellion…almost. It seemed that the only districts where people were still gathered around the cornucopia and they were not allies was District Two. I walked over and put on a headset that was sitting on the desk in front of me. I turned to an assistant, "District 2! I want to hear the kids at the cornucopia!"

An info screen on the console in front of me told me the only ones who were left at the cornucopia were Meredy, Callista, Heather, Elliot, and two seventeen year old boys. The rest had either fled the cornucopia or were already killed on the ground. It appeared that the five out of the six were in an alliance and were trying to convince the sixth, Elliot, to join their alliance and hurt down the remaining tributes. I leaned over the screen listening intently to what would happen next.

"How many are dead," Meredy asked?

"One, Two, Four, Seven, Eight! Eight kills! It looks like four boys and four girls." Callista replied.

"So Elliot, why don't you come join our alliance," Heather said in a very cutesy manner, winking and flirting with Elliot. She was obviously trying to get the younger boy to be her lackey through the prelims. Elliot just stared back.

"No." He said just staring ahead blankly. This kid was a creepy one alright.

"What do you mean no!" Heather yelled.

"You idiots didn't even kill any of the tough opponents. You killed the three younger career girls and then the other five are untrained kids. You guys are idiots."

Heather started screaming, enraged that she was being turned down and taunted by a boy four years younger than me. "YOU little BRAT! Shut up and get you're a-." Heather's eyes shot upward to the dagger protruding from her forehead that Elliot had thrown at her. She pitched forward and fell on the ground, unmoving. The other four tributes just stared at her.

"If you don't wanna end up like her I suggest you leave."

"How DARE you!" Meredy rebuked, but a second later a dagger that had been aimed to barely scrape her shoulder had changed her mind. "Let's go! We'll deal with him later!"

The four scrambled to get away but Elliot stood up from his perch on top of the mouth of the cornucopia. "Sorry I can't let you do that either!" He shouted as he threw four daggers, two from each hand. Each set of daggers found their mark, in the back of one of the 17-year-old boys. The girls continued to run away through the long grass. Elliot hopped down from his perch, picked up all the supplies he could carry, and stalked up into the grasslands to hunt.

I pulled myself up from the monitor and turned to the attendants that were in charge of District 2's prelims. "That's the end of the bloodbath fire the cannons."

Candace Night:

Even though Candace couldn't hide up in a tree she still decided that her best chance would be to raid the cornucopia once it was deserted and pick up whatever left over weapons or supplies were left. She ran far away from the cornucopia where her rivals could still see me and then ducked into the grass. Then she begin the long crawl back to the bloodbath. Eventually the screams of children being killed stopped. Thank god, Candace thought to herself. She continued to crawl forward, although cautiously and calmly.

Wait, that's odd. I stayed where I was and listened for about 5 minutes. Unmoving. Finally, after I was sure the last person had left the cornucopia, I continued to crawl. I stood up at the clearing and saw what I had heard; that Elliot boy cut down three other careers in cold blood. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Eleven cannon blasts. Well that meant less than half the competition was left. I looked around the clearing and concluded that the females left in the competition were Meredy, Callista, Amanda, one 16-year-old girl I didn't know, and myself. As for the boys there was Mars, Pallas, Noctis, and Elliot.

I told myself that the biggest challenge should be Meredy and Callista as careers who are older than me. As for the other two girls, they'll be so easy to take down.

Gathering up the weapons and supplies that were left around the cornucopia I managed to find a mace, a backpack which held a water bottle, an MRE, twine, and some night glasses; and an insulated sleeping bag. While the mace wasn't the ideal weapon, the other supplies I managed to find where excellent and would surely help me survive in the harsh environment of the savannah. I also managed to find a small sword still stuck in one of the bloodbath tributes. I bent down and saw that when he was killed he had fallen on his own sword. I rolled him over onto his back and realized just how stuck the sword was. Well, no one said the Hunger games were sanitary. I put one foot on his chest and yanked as hard as I could to loosen the sword. Eventually with a slurp sword the sword came free. I felt droplets of something wet land on my face and arms and immediately thought, _OHH God!_ I leaned over and threw up.

Noctis Faith:

We hadn't looked back; we just kept crawling; hearing the screams of the children behind us. "I don't wanna keep crawling!" Amanda pleaded. She was crawling next to me and had grabbed my forearm to get my attention. I shook her off.

"We need to keep moving! Come on"

"No! I don't want to! We've put enough distance from the cornucopia. Let's take a break." She pleaded with me and looked at me with soft eyes.

"Uhhh, ok fine. But we're going to stay here in the grass and not move anywhere else ok?" "Ok." I lied down on my back facing the sky. Amanda snuggled up next to me and I put my arm around her. I stopped thinking about the arena or the danger we were in and put both arms around her and fell asleep.

Candace Night:

Regaining my composure at the cornucopia I had decided to go looking for some of the other tributes throughout the Savannah. I started walking looking for them but soon felt very vulnerable due to the lack of cover provided by the tall grasses. Which is how I ended up crawling through the mud for four hours. The mud sticking to my clothes and skin is absolutely disgusting but I'm determined to remain undetected by the other tributes so that I can survive longer. The day otherwise is uneventful except for another cannon BOOM that sounds off around twilight. "Good another tribute down," I say out loud to myself.

That night I only allow myself to drink a little bit of water. I can't allow myself to open the MRE as I need to save my food for possibly another few days in the arena. That reminds me, I have no idea how long these prelims are supposed to take, assuming I can survive them.

That night I awaited the anthem hoping that the cannon I heard earlier today was one of the remaining girls, and hopefully Meredy or Callista. But unfortunately it wasn't, it was the one girl I didn't know who survived the bloodbath, a non-career and thus not a threat.

"Well at least someone died." I curled up in my sleeping bag and tried to fall asleep.

Waking up the next day was terrible. I had slept terribly the night before and had really gotten very little sleep, what with the bumpy ground and waking up every time I heard a noise.

"That's it! I'm hunting!" I decided. I stood up, stopped crawling, and begin to search through the tall grass for any hint of my competitors. I was unable to find anything or interest until midday, when the sun was at its peak across the sky. _Why haven't I run into anyone yet!_ It was getting me very nervous. I begin to finger with my token, the blue feather necklace that Taya gave me. I closed my eyes and told myself, "Candace. You can do this. You've over come obstacles in training and from training but you can do this!" Even though I put on the confident air of a career to others I definitely was not that confident with myself. I thought I was little bit bigger, and had a scar down my face and had both my front teeth knocked out from my fight with Taya. But if I had survived the ridicule of my unattractive appearance than killing a few prissy girls would be easy.

I continued to hunt and within fifteen minutes I had begun to tail the two 18-year-old career boys, Mars and Pallas. Unfortunately, having no weapons beside my mace, which could only be used in short distances, I had to wait for the boys to stop and rest before trying to make any sort of move on them. One of them, Mars I think, stopped to take a nap while Pallas stood guard over his friend. While luckily for me, this grass allowed me to sneak up from any direction. So which did I pick? I was staring at Pallas' back as I approached. I crawled, the mace at my side until I was five feet from Mars sleeping head. Then Pallas turned.

Eye contact. That's all that happened for a good five seconds. Then he drew his sword and charge me yelling. I dove for his friends head and by the time Mars started to wake up I had hit not once but twice over the head with my mace. I barely had time to lift my mace up to block the over the head slash from Pallas. I parried it only inches from my face.

"You're gonna pay for that you little bitch!" Pallas snarled! Flying apart from the parry I brought the mace around to the right and he easily blocked with his sword. "Stupid little girl! Think you really can overpower me fatass!" _OH MY GOD!_ I hated when people made fun of me for my weight, because I wasn't that fat! I wound back the mace and slammed it over my head, not caring about technique, or those idiots at the trainer school, just wanting to hurt the idiot that was in front of me as much as possible. I kept throwing it forward over and over again and didn't even notice when the cannon sounded to announce Pallas' death. I just stood there crying and sniveling.

I have to keep my thoughts more in check next time. Shit now sponsors will see me as weak. Well this isn't weak! I went over to the feebly stirring Mars and killed with his own knives by slitting his throat. BOOM! "Well, only a few more left." I collected what useful items I could gather and moved on, the hot sun bearing down on me.

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**Glad to finally update. This prelim was taking a while so I decided to split it into two different chapters. **

**Sorry I've been away for so long but college takes up a lot of time, although there are really no excuses for taking this long to update. Hope people are still with me at this point. I should also have the next chapter up in 2-3 days.**


	9. Something I Need

_You got something I need_

* * *

Noctis Faith:

BOOM! BOOM! Damn. Two cannons within five minutes of each other.

"Wow someone must be going on a spree." Amanda said. We sat intently, waiting for hopefully more cannons. But none ever came.

Finally, I said, "Well let's get a move on then."

"We need to find the other girls." Shit. Shit, shit, _SHIT_. That was the voice of one of the career girls, Meredy, I think her name was. Fuck they were approaching on our position fast! Without any supplies or weapons I had no idea how the hell we were to have a chance against the two of them.

"What do we do? What do we do," Amanda frantically communicated to me in a hushed voice?

I hushed her and sat watching the two girls. Hopefully they wouldn't find our position. I assessed what weapons the two of them had. From my point of view I could see that Meredy had a small one handed axe, in addition to the backpack she wore. Callista was holding a spear in her hand along with some extra spear tips that were belted to her. From the cornucopia she had also acquired a large brimmed sun hat. Both girls looked hot, tired, and glistened with sweat.

"Maybe if we hide they won't notice us," Amanda said.

"And if they do we're screwed, we should attack them."

"How! We don't have weapons."

"Element of surprise," I blurted out.

She paused for a moment. "That's reckless! They are fully armed!"

"Well," and then my heart stopped.

"Shut up!"

The two girls in front of us had heard me and were standing still and silent to see if I would talk again, in order to track me down.

"You hear that," Meredy questioned?

"Split up that way we'll fine them."

They both begin searching; with Meredy walking away from us and Callista walking in a direction that would eventually put her within 5 feet of us if she stayed her course. Closer…closer…closer…and…NOW!

I sprung up from my hiding place and jumped onto Callista. The surprise along with my weight knocked her to the ground. Callista screamed and started flailing. I flung my hands forward onto her face to stop the screaming and started to hit her. Suddenly I felt pain.

"Ahhh…aw," on my right side the spear had crazed my ribcage well she was flailing, cutting me but luckily not impaling me on the tip. She reached back to stab me this time. I closed my eyes but the blow never came, instead Callista cried out. Amanda had stepped on Callista's wrist; forcing it to the ground and was holding the spear, as she stared at the charging Meredy, who had shed her backpack.

"No! AMANDA!" I cried. Merdey swung and Amanda was able to block the axe with the spear tip a few inches from her face. Meredy pull her axe back and attacked like a berserker. Amanda was able to parried or dodge ever strike but was getting driven backward by Meredy and was quickly losing ground.

"Don't forget about me you dumbass!" Callista rolled trying to flip me onto the ground, she didn't succeed and we begin to wrestle for control and the upper hand. Quickly, I lost track of Amanda and begin to worry, _please be ok Amanda, please, please be ok._ I flipped Callista over and wrapped my hands around her neck, squeezing the life out of her. She grabbed my wrists but I only tightened my grasp. The color drained out of her face and her breath became labored and gasping. BOOM. When I heard the cannon go off and her hands loosened I released her neck and took a deep breath.

"AH," the shriek tore right though me.

"AMANDA!" Looking over in the direction of the voice I saw Amanda on the ground with Meredy bearing over her. Meredy turned her head and taking sight of me, charged at me. I quickly stood up, and fell off balance. I had caught my foot on Callista's body. Meredy closed the distance between us quickly and took a huge backswing.

I threw my right arm forward to catch her arms. The momentum of the axe caused it to fly into my shoulder. The feeling of an axe blade burying it into your muscle was unbearable. Crying out I plowed forward with my eyes closed just to escape the pain radiating out of my right shoulder. Hitting Meredy square on we both tumbled to the ground.

"GET off ME! You're getting blood everywhere!" The next thing I recall was being pushed to the ground. The pain in my shoulder was so agonizing it was all I could to to bare my teeth in a snarl and roll around clutching my shoulder with my right hand. The pain was like nothing I'd ever felt before.

"Noctis, Noctis?"

"AMANDA! AMANDA!" Hearing her voice had propelled me to my feet and as I clutched my shoulder I looked over at Meredy sitting on her chest, not unlike what I had been doing with Callista a few brief minutes ago.

"Well, well lets have some fun." Meredy picked up her axe and slammed the blade down onto Amanda's wrist.

"NO! NO! STOP IT!" Sprinting towards Amanda I suddenly got tackled from the right by an unknown force.

"Where are you going Romeo?" The cold, icy, voice paralyzed me. It sounded so deadly, so toxic I couldn't force myself to look at the person. That is until her voice snapped me out of it.

"NOCTIS, NOCTIS HELP ME, HELP ME!" I could hear her voice cracking from screaming.

"AMANDA!" I turned around so quickly and by flinging my arm out was able to knock away Elliot, clamber up somehow, and run towards her. Again I was knocked over, this time by Elliot jumping on my back and knocking me down.

"You think you can just walk away from me that easily filth? Well when I'm done with you, you're not gonna be able to walk away." I heard the sound of a knife being pulled of a sheath. "Now, where to start." I could feel the tip of the knife sliding across the back of my tank top. A quick burst of pain from between my shoulder blades told me that he had finally begin his torture, he pulled the blade down my back.

"I'm going to carve you up like a pig." The knife went down my back like a brand. In that moment for the first time, I saw stars. "Lets get a Hunger Games first to bring in the new games. I don't think that anyone's ever cut to the spine before."

I exhaled all the air I had been holding at once as he jerked his knife to the right. When he got to my right side he begin digging away like someone sawing a log. The pain finally forced me to tears, and I begin to cry softly.

I had totally forgotten about Meredy until her voice jarred me out of my pain and tears, "You bastard, you killed my friend. This is for Heather!" The weight on my back suddenly disappeared. When Elliott had been hurled his hand jarred the knife and it tore through even more flesh at an odd angle. I still couldn't move, I lied in the dirt panting.

Meredy crouched down in front of my face. "I should kill you but I'll settle for watching your girlfriend die."

I screamed and ripped the knife out of my wound and tried to jab it into Meredy's throat. But she was ready. She quickly swung the axe at my already deep wound. Luckily, my arm was in the way so she hit an inch above the wound so I didn't get cut in half. I blacked out for a few seconds and fell to the ground in a heap from the agony. It didn't matter though, I had already but Elliot's knife in Meredy's neck and a second later I watched her fall to the ground.

Laying there, I could feel my life spilling out of my side, and the pain was so great I couldn't think about anything else. BOOM.

"Noctis…uh…Noctis?"

_Amanda? _"Amanda! Are you ok?" I tried to move but the pain in my side was too unbearable for me to move. I was able to drag myself about two feet before I had to close my eyes and gasp for breath, due to the pain.

"Noctis, Noctis, I can't move. Open your eyes! I can see you! Noctis," a cry escaped her mouth, "look at me!" Willing myself, I finally opened them and found her, about 10 feet away laying on her side with her wrist bleeding profusely over the ground. The grass around us had been trampled by the bloodshed so much that I could see Amanda between the stalks that were still standing. My stomach lurched. Amanda and the ground around her were covered in blood. So much blood.

"Amanda, we'll be alright. We just need to wait for the last cannon. That's all. We're the last boy and girl left in the District."

"Noctis…we're not." My world rocked in that moment. _What other boys are left? I thought they all were killed._ "Amanda, what do you mean?"

"That girl, the fourth career to volunteer."

_No. No. No no no no no NO! _I screamed. I screamed so much I started heaving and coughing. We were so close. I was so close.

"Noctis, its ok….please, please don't." Her voice didn't calm me down one bit. I pulled my body along only using my arms, adrenaline pumping through my veins, but only managed to move a foot towards Amanda. Then my wound crippled me and I curled up into a ball eyes shut, shaking in pain.

"Noctis…stop you're hurting yourself. Stop." She gasped for breath shakily and couldn't even continue. She was as pale as a sheet. I need to tell her. Maybe then she'll live and we can be together.

"Amanda I bought this for you and planned to give it to you next week but…" I didn't know what more to say and started crying uncontrollably. I pulled it out. Her engagement gift. It was a pendent, a diamond shaped uncut pink diamond. The very best I could buy. All of my funds from being a blacksmith's assistant had gone into it. The diamond sparkled just as clearly as when I got it, but now it was stained in blood and the red blotches on it made me bellow at the unfairness of these stupid games.

"I'm sorry I'm so reckless, we should have never attacked them, we could have waited, we could have won, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sor-."

Amanda made a shushing sound. "Its not you fault. Don't blame yourself. If you really want to change, change and everything…everything…" she had to gasp for air, "everything will be different." BOOM.

"Amanda, Amanda, Amanda! AMANDA!" Her eyes briefly fluttered open and she turned upward facing the sun. Looking towards heaven. BOOM.

Candace Night:

_Wait? Did I win? Unless I'm hallucinating a cannon that was definitely the last death. So why hasn't a hovercraft come?_

"Attention! Our winners for the District 2 Prelims of the 76th Hunger Games are Candace Night and Noctis Faith!

I couldn't believe it. _I did it! I did it!_ Lifting my hands in the air like a champion felt amazing! I was going to the final! As my excitement coursed through me I felt the wind whistle through my hair, and then through the gap in my teeth. _Crap! I need to look good for the sponsors and hide my damn mouth._

I readjusted my position to arms crossed, showing how these prelims had been a breeze and the finals would be the same.

* * *

_And if we only die once I wanna die with you_

_-OneRepublic_

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**So this chapter was very Noctis Centric because the last Chapter revolved around Candace greatly. I'm glad to finally be done with D2 because I've been working on these guys for months. So yeah next up is District 3.**

**Housekeeping stuff:**

**Also, I'm starting a blog for this story which the blog is created but nothing yet is posted. So hopefully that'll be up in about a week or so. Also in my records I have lost who submitted Dia, Noctis, and the D3 female Finna! If you were one of their senders please let me know so I can give you proper credit!**

**Please review as always. I love reading reviews on my story, its probably my favorite thing about this site. And I also love responding to the reviews.**


	10. Oliver and Finna

Finna Taulin:

"I'll tell you for the last time! Get out!" The forewoman swung her left arm and Finna ducked. In one move she ducked, turned, push up her glasses on her face and fled out of the manufacturing floor. Tucked underneath her left arm were mechanical parts that would have baffled most of District 3's workers. The parts she had stolen could be conveniently weaponized, into a bomb and its detonator.

Finna, upon leaving the factory, made sure she wasn't followed and marched towards the seedier side of District 3, the Underwire. Abandoned factories, the homeless, the poor, you name it; they make up what District 3 calls the Underwire. Luckily for Finna, the factory she had just stolen from opened at dawn and it was only 7 am when she had fled the factory. Definitely enough time before the reaping, she thought to herself. As she entered the broken down converter factory she approached her usual contact.

"Even on the day of the reaping, you've got quite the pair there my dear."

"Shut it Synch, I'm only here for the money you know that." Finna set down the equipment parts on the metal table between them and crossed her arms, glaring at the fence's dirt covered face.

"Easy, easy, let me put the bomb together, you know the drill. I gotta make sure all the parts are here." Finna watched apprehensively as he sorted the parts on the table. Watching Synch assemble the bomb and detonator Finna thought about how many times she had watched this process. She could probably do it from memory.

"Ok, looks like everything's here, here's your cut sweetie," Synch rasped. Finna just grabbed the money out of his hand and turned tale to leave the building. "Oh and Finna, goodluck today sweetums." After his well wish he started violently coughing. Finna just stood there with her back to Synch unsure how to respond.

"…thanks." Finna walked out of the factory and didn't look back until she was well out of the Underwire and almost back at the orphanage. Walking back she was thinking about her relationship with Synch. She had never shown compassion for him before, so why would he care if she got reaped. She had thought that he only liked her for the money she brought in but Synch had sounded like he genuinely cared about her.

These troubled thoughts carried Finna through the Underwire, the Factory district and back to her home in the orphanage. She went through the back door and gently opened the door a crack and shimmied inside. Finna was hoping to slip to her room and avoid the matron, Ms. Renan. Ms. Renan did not like Finna's "hobbies" even if she did earn money for the orphanage and Finna knew it. Luckily for her, her thin 5'5 frame made barely a noise as she snuck though the back hall, up the stairs, through another hall, around the corner, and smacked right into Ms. Renan. _Damn, _Finna thought.

Oliver Gauge:

"All I'm saying is that it's _possible_ I could win the Hunger Games, I didn't say probable, I said possible Annabelle."

Annabelle crossed her arms and stared at her boyfriend, "Fine! It's possible." She said, air quotes included around the word possible. "Just please tell me you won't try to prove it today." Her arms fell and she stared at her boyfriend longingly.

"Aw Belle, you know that I would never volunteer." The tall boy bent down to put his forehead on his girlfriends. "I've got something too valuable to leave behind, you know that." The two briefly kissed and then when they separated they continued to hold hands and stare into each other eyes. The two had been dating for three years, since they both were 14. There relationship had turned from puppy love that people said wouldn't last a month, into a serious relationship, with many assuming that upon entering the workforce Oliver would propose to Annabelle.

"Well, well, if it isn't the two lovebirds. Don't you have a reaping to get to?" The young couple broke their trance and though Annabelle still had a slightly worried look on her face, Oliver immediately cracked into a smile.

"Jacob! I thought you would miss the reaping mate."

"Nah. You know we've all got to be in attendance. Damn Capitol rules." At this Jacob and Oliver both spit on the ground. Annabelle gasped eyes alight with panic.

"Oh, don't. You know how much trouble we could get in! Stop it." Oliver ran a hand through his short black hair, as if to make sure that it was still spiked up.

"Sorry Belle, you know we're just kidding." The three teens walked in an awkward silence for a few minute before Oliver decided he couldn't take the silence anymore. "You know Jacob, my parents told me that if we keep up the good work we can both count on having permanent jobs as handyman and delivery men once we gradate school."

"Man, having a job leaving school would be more than I'd ever hoped more, especially in this district." Jacob started daydreaming about a life of good income, good house, good wife, and everything else that comes with being employed. Jacob had always been nervous about being employed. Like Oliver he had barely escaped the Underwire due to his parents low income. Jacob had it much worse however; he has two younger brothers that he had to care for with only one parent still alive.

Oliver's family had received a huge break when his Uncle Beetee won the Hunger Games years ago. His Uncle had been generous enough to give a large portion of the profits to his sister so that she could care for her children. Oliver and Jacob were unlucky in that they both were average students in probably the smartest district in Panem. This meant that they were banished to work menial jobs for the rest of their lives. This cold fact had caused both Oliver and Jacob to start working as carriers in the district at the young age of 8. A carrier's job was to run things for their employers, whether it be parts, messages, or money. At first the only thing the boys ran was messages and the most meager of earnings. If the boys continued to work they would be lifting heavy parts and moving them across the district to factories and to be shipped out of the district.

"Yeah well you two are lucky, I have no idea what I'm going to do when I leave school." Annabelle crossed her arms again.

"Easy, Belle it'll be alright. You'll find something. There are plenty of jobs in the dis-." Oliver broke off, staring into the square, fear etched upon his face. Jacob and Annabelle both continued walking a few feet before realizing that their friend was petrified in place.

"Oliver, Oliver," she grabbed his hand, "it'll be alright, we will be fine. I know it."

"How do you know? There's Kay, Windal, Jacob, Driver, Meta, you, and me. And that's just my best friends and their siblings! What about people we know from school. Acquaintances. Neighbors. Someone will get it, and then…" Oliver's voiced trailed off. Kay and Windal were Oliver's 12 and 14 year old sisters. Driver and Meta were Jacob's 13 and 17 year old brother's respectively.

"Well Oliver you're right and there's no denying it. But we can at least hope and standing here will only cause trouble. Come on." Grabbing his hand she led him to the registry table. There was general confusion, as having a year off from the Hunger Games meant that many of the peacekeepers, as well as the children were not sure what entirely to do. The line to get registered wasn't even moving. The three teens moved to the end and waited for the check in line to move.

About 30 minutes later the entirety of District 3 was in the square and the district escort, Chloe finally emerged. Oliver looked at her and scrutinized her odd outfit, which included a purple blazer with a dark mauve skirt and black shoes. Basically, she looked like a human bruise.

"Hello District 3! And Welcome back to the Hunger Games! I'm happy to be here, especially after our brief hiatus. But now we get to select the best tributes possible to send to the Capitol. Let's start with the young ladies." As Chloe walked over to the reaping bowl the entire district held in its breath.

"Plena Ruxin!"

Finna Taulin:

_So they begin._ Finna rubbed her left side as a terrified girl walked onto the stage, sniveling. Ms. Renan had punished Finna by taking all of her money and beating her. Finna's slight frame had been unable to keep the hefty woman off of her as she was shoved to the ground and kicked. Ms. Renan had told her that if she didn't keep her ass out of the factory she would be kicked out of the orphanage for good. When Finna replied it was for the orphanage, she got a quick slap to the face and was told she would be taking out more Tesserae than anyone else in the orphanage. Finna had already been taking out Tesserae like all the older orphans did. Now she would be taking out another 10 per year as Ms. Renan was able to sign her up for more.

"Uh I hope that I don't get reaped." Finna's fellow orphan Ellie muttered in her ear. Both were standing in the 16 year old section.

"I don't know," "Vellam Lentz!" Chloe yelled. A 13 year old starting screaming. "The games aren't a death sentence, some make it out."

"Yeah the older, stronger tributes. It's the careers that always win. Don't think you can win Finna." Ellie was pleading, trying to have Finna see reason.

"It's a high risk Ellie, I know that. High risk, high reward. That's how most big rewards work." "Elekie Morot." An 18 year old this time walked on stage. "There's a 4.16% chance, I've done the math. But my odds are better then that, especially with the possibility of multiple tributes surviving. Trust me I have a good chance."

"Finna…" "Dayta Struct." Another 13 year old starting movie towards the stage.

"There Ellie, you can't tell me that I don't have a better chance than that frightened 13 year old."

"Yes, a better chance but you still might not be able to-" "Gina Struct!" The girl, Dayta started wailing. "Oh my, it appears we have two siblings reaped. This will be very interesting. Maybe even as popular as the Career districts." Chloe sounded thrilled at the idea that a non-Career district could have an engaging reaping. Finally, a small 12 year old crept towards the front. She looked absolutely terrified.

_No. Two siblings, that's not fair._ Ellie looked over and seeing the determined look on Finna's face, "No! Finna don't you dare! Finna! Finna! Are you listening to me?"

"I volunteer as tribute!"

"Oh my! These reaping's just keep getting better and better. Come up here dear." _What the hell am I doing? _Finna's eyes went wide as she realized that she had actually volunteered. She had been thinking about it but not actually planning to volunteer. Finna made her way up the stage. "What's your name dear?" Chloe held the mike over to Finna.

"Finna Taulin." Finna looked dead, not brave or bold, just blank. Her glasses started slipping off her face, so she pushed them up further and just continued to stare into the distance.

"Well than congratulations Finna and Good Luck! Now then back to the reaping!"

Oliver Gauge:

"See man no one we know is going to be reaped. Your sisters, and Annabelle are safe." The 10th girl had just reaped and called

"I guess your right Jacob. Thank god." _I still can't believe that we had a volunteer. _"We haven't had a volunteer for as long as I remember, why do you think she did it?"

"Who knows man, she might have a chance though. I mean there are only two 18 year olds, one 17 year old, and two other 16 year olds."

"Yeah so including that Finna girl, that's six and the other four are 15 and younger."

"Shhh Oliver, the guys are starting." Jacob's voice was filled with fear.

Chloe's voice echoed around the square. "We have our brave and lovely women. Let's pick the strong and strapping men who will accompany them."

Time seemed to slow for Oliver in that second. "Binary Blitzen! Where are you? Come up Binary!" No one moved at first, then finally a boy from the 14 year old section was up on the stage looking terrified.

"God I hate the games." Oliver moaned. The next 6 boys were reaped, ranging from a small timid 12 year old named Movium, to glowering 18 year old named Colton.

"Whew, that boy Colton will probably win, he looks like a huge threat. He's almost as tall as you Oliver." The two boys laughed at the joke, as Colton was no taller than 5'6; short for an 18 year old. Oliver on the other hand was 6'3, very tall for a 17 year old.

"Our next tribute is Oliver Gauge." Both boys immediately froze at the voice. "Oliver, Oliver, come on up dearie."

"No." Jacob uttered the word looking at his best friend. Oliver finally broke off his stare with Jacob and started shuffling his feet towards the stage. The walk up was long, and btw the end Oliver thought he would cry. _No, I wouldn't cry, I won't. I'll be strong for Annabelle, and Kay, and Windal. _Oliver moved next to Colton, the most recent reapee and tried to avoid looking at anyone he knew.

Oliver tuned out so completely that he didn't pay attention to the last two reapings.

"Alright then, before our brave young tributes are shipped off to the arena, those that wish may come up and say goodbye to our tributes. 15 minutes from now the hovercraft will be departing with the tributes." Chloe than clapped her hands together and walked into the justice building.

Oliver, still dazed was immediately rushed by his parents, his two sister, and Annabelle.

"Oliver." "I'm so sorry." "I love you big bro." "Wahh don't leave Oliver." Everyone was talking at once and the voices overwhelmed Oliver so much.

"Stop, stop. Stop! STOP!" Everyone fell silent and looked at Oliver warily, like watching someone who had seen too much in their live, which in retrospect Oliver probably had. "Look I'm sorry but I don't want to say goodbye, I'll just hug you guys and then I'll….I'll go and come home." On the words come home, Oliver sniveled and had to fight to hold back tears.

His entire family, Jacob and Annabelle just gaped at Oliver, but they decided to respect his wishes. They each hugged him and gave him one thoughtful piece of advice. Then without anymore parting words they all left to console each other and get ready to watch the prelims and Oliver.

"Oliver please, be safe ok." Annabelle grabbed his hands and touched her forehead to his like they had done earlier that day, however too the two teens it seemed like a lifetime ago, not an few hours.

"Annabelle, I love you."

Finna Taulin:

Finna stared around the hovercraft, her eyes lingering on the girl directly across from her, Dayta Struct.

Finna's goodbye had been unpleasant to say the least. Ellie had come to say how genuinely sorry she was for Finna but the two girls weren't that good of friends so their conversation was brief and awkward.

Ms. Renan came by, but only to tell Finna how glad she was that she was getting what she deserved, and that it would be great for her not to have to deal with Finna's troublesome ways.

The worst had been the when a small 12 year old poked Finna's back and when she turned around she was looking at Gina Struct, as well as her mother.

"Thank you, thank you for saving our Gina. How can we ever thank you, thank you so much!" The mother just want on and on with admiration with tears in her eyes.

Finna eventually snapped, "What do you want? I volunteered for my own reasons, your daughter just happened to be the one that I volunteered for."

The mother looked like she had been slapped across the face. "Well…uh uh…we were going to ask if you could look over Dayta…in the arena."

"Do I look like a babysitter!" Finna snapped and walked away to board the hovercraft. She was the first one to board due to her lack of friends and family. Sitting, strapped into the chair she started forming strategies for the games and ways to go home. Finally, other tributes begin to trickle in. Finally, after peacekeepers had to tear two different tributes away from their families, the hovercrafts departed.

"Alright then, I am a trainer from the Capitol." The tributes in the hovercraft just stared as the man stood in between all of them. "I am here to teach you some rudimentary survival techniques. You would do well to pay attention, as this is all you'll get before you go into the arena."

The man starting talking and showed the tributes how to start a fire using matches and flints, basic knife techniques, and telling different plants apart, and their uses. He them delved into basic first aid and its uses on common injuries.

Looking around Finna thought to herself; _why are some of these dumb kids not paying attention to this instructor. Are they stupid? Have they already given up? Wait…I've never seen any of these plants in district three, and they all look somewhat tropical? So maybe that's were we're going?_

The intercom came on, "Attention all tributes we are now descending into the arena." The hovercraft slowly started to descend. Finna leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, willing for this game to start and the wait to be over.

She was ready.

* * *

**That's your two district 3 tributes!**

**So I think that feasibly I'll try to shoot for one chapter a week, maybe two. The average will probably be like 3 chapters in 2 weeks.**

**On other news, I'm almost done my blog. I have 22 of the pictures done and just need to publish.**

**However, I let two people reserve the D10 male and D12 male, but I haven't received them and have messaged them for the tributes. So I'm opening them up to submission. The tribute form is on my profile. If you have submitted two tributes I would like to give someone else a chance. If you have only submitted one or not at all then SUBMIT away. Otherwise, I'm out and hope you like Oliver and Finna.**


	11. Of Beaches and Ruins

Oliver Gauge:

_This can't be happening. There's no way that this is real. I'll wake up and it'll all be a dream. _Oliver just kept telling himself that as sat in the Hovercraft. Finally, they took off. _Thank God._ "Alright then, I am a trainer from the Capitol. I am here to teach you so-." Oliver tuned out and revisited his thoughts about how this must be a dream. It can't be real. Oliver jerked forward and looked around surprised. Based on the other tributes faces it looked like they had finally landed at the arena.

A Peacekeeper walked in from the cockpit. "Alright then, we've landed at the arena location. We will open the doors and you will all descend out of this hovercraft and find peacekeepers, each holding a card with one of your names. You will then follow that peacekeeper to your launch room. Don't interact with the other tributes or break from you peacekeeper…or you will be punished." He put extra emphases on the word punish that made the all of tributes scared of what punishment entailed. Oliver saw the safety harness on his seat lifting up and looked around to see all the other harnesses lifting as well. Slowly one by one the tributes filed out of the Hovercraft. Oliver was in the middle of the line and once he was out he looked and saw a large group of peacekeepers down below. Oliver trembled at the sight. This was terrifying.

A few minutes later Oliver was in an individual room by himself with a female peacekeeper standing by the door. He looked at her uncomfortably. "Can you leave well I change?"

"No, I have to watch you so you don't kill yourself or find someway to avoid the tubes."

"Can you turn around then?" The peacekeeper smirked and just shook her head.

"Look kid, if you care about a woman watching you change clothes when you're about to go into a death match then you won't stand a chance." Oliver grimaced and reflected on her words. _What am I doing? I'm worried about modesty and I might die today. Focus Oliver, focus. _With that Oliver hardened his resolve.

"You're right…thanks."

"Damn right I am. Now put your clothes on kid you need to get into that tube soon."

Oliver turned and looked at the clothes on the table. "Wow they really skimped on the clothes this year." He turned and looked at the peacekeeper, "What do you think it means."

The Peacekeeper cocked her head to the side as she thought about whether to answer his question or not. She decided the former, "Well seeing as it's minimal clothing I would say that it's a hot climate. As for not having boots, well I've got no idea kid." She was right, the shorts were mid thigh length and the shirt didn't have sleeves either. The sneakers set for Oliver were very low. They wouldn't reach past his ankle when on, and the socks were just as short.

"Your right it looks like they want us to be as exposed as possible, for whatever reason." Oliver quickly changed into the outfit and looked into the mirror only to blush and become embarrassed. The shorts did only cover half his thighs and with his shoulders exposed he felt very vulnerable and very exposed.

"Stop being embarrassed, and get in the tube kid. Good luck." Oliver walked over into the tube and once he was on the pedestal looked up for any kind of hint into the arena. All he saw was impenetrable blackness. He wondered if that's what happened when you died, impenetrable blackness. He couldn't tear his eyes off of the darkness, wondering about Annabelle, and his family, and if he would ever see them again. It felt like he hadn't seen them in days. He couldn't believe that just earlier today he had been joking around with his best friend and his girlfriend.

A metallic ding from a loudspeaker somewhere in the room interrupted his thoughts. "All District 3 tributes please enter your tubes and prepare for launch." Oliver took a deep breath and closed his eyes. _All right then, here we go. Breathe Oliver, Breathe._ The tube started with a lurch and slowly climbed upward. Oliver finally, let out his breath without even realizing that he had been holding it in. He waited a few more seconds to open his eyes and only when he was sure that they felt light he opened them. _This is it. Whatever I see could help me or kill me._ Oliver opened his eyes wide to soak in the landscape.

He was per usual standing on a plate that was one of 24 in a circle around the large horn that was the cornucopia. The cornucopia this time was made out of what appeared to be bronze metal that was a similar color to the ground below. The ground that the plates were on was a plateau of dense packed earth with no grass. The plateau was a circle like the plates and only held the cornucopia, plates, and then dropped down four feet a few feet behind each plate.

Beyond the plateau on all sides there was a dense jungle that seemed mostly made of palm trees and similar foliage. Flowering plants could be seen intermingled throughout the jungle. Oliver looked around and could see nothing through the thick veil of trees and vines around the plateau. Oliver could also hear the singing out birds and the every few seconds the screeching out a wild animal or two. Having seen a minimal amount of plants in District 3 and never anything higher than a few feet or as colorful all Oliver could think was wow, this place is insane.

Finna Taulin:

The brightness of the arena astounded Finna. Between the bleak orphanage where she lived and spending her free time in the Underwire she never could have prepared for this. Everything at home was so dark, gray, and monochrome. In this arena the plants all around her were vibrant and full of life. _Wait, what am I doing? I need to be getting ready for the countdown to start_.

"Welcome District 3 tributes to the 76th District 3 Preliminary Hunger Games! This is your announcer and district escort Chloe. Now then, remember don't step off your plates until the countdown hits 0 and good luck tributes!" _Uhh Chloe is our announcer? Dear god is she annoying._

Finally a Hologram appeared in front of the cornucopia and starting counting down. 60…59…58. _And there it is._ Finna looked at the plates next to her only to realize that the plate on her right was empty. She looked puzzled for a moment and then realized that it was because this Arena, having been used before was made for 24 tributes, not 20. On her left was the 13-year-old girl Vellam. She looked terrified and not at all prepared. She was shaking and trembling on her plate. _Poor girl. She's not even going to know what to do._

40…39…38 _Hmmm lets see how many people seem to have control over their emotions and what they're doing. _Finna begin to glance around at the tributes she could see and look for a tapping foot, arms up at the chest, head down, faces, eyes, anything that could be used to tell which tributes where absolutely terrified and which ones were a threat. Unfortunately for Finna, the cornucopia blocked her view of 5 of the tributes so she couldn't see those tributes and judge their resolution.

From her observations she pinpointed three tributes as looking competent and ready enough to run to the cornucopia, Colton, the stout 18-year-old, the thin girl Elekie, one of the 18 year olds in the prelim, and remarkably, surprising Finna, the young girl whose parents had begged her for help, Dayta.

_Dayta looks prepared, wow. Well if it's only the three of them then I should be safe. Now lets see...uhh…no too small…too bright…hmm…that one! It's not near any weapons and it's big enough that I can grab it, flee, and won't come into contact with anyone before I escape. _

15…14…13. Finna stood, feet shoulder length apart and took a deep breath with her eyes closed, 11…10…9. She opened her eyes and leaned over her plate, readying herself in a running stance. 6…5…4… The last thing she did was push he glasses further up her nose. 3…2…1.

Finna ran towards the cornucopia only it didn't feel like she was running. She felt like she was watching someone else's life.

She watched the girl run towards the cornucopia and run over to the dark gray backpack. Time slowed. The girl put on the backpack and then opened the crate it had been resting on, looking for food. Then something occurred to her, there was no screaming just the sound of many people moving. The girl finally took a risk and looked around the supplies only to see each child paying little attention to the others, each stuffing vital supplies into containers. A shriek rent the air and the girl jumped back and looked around. She found it's recipient, Plena, the first girl to be reaped, hobbling around holding her stomach as copious amounts of blood poured from it. The girl also saw her attacker, Colton. He was wielding a sword with untrained hands. The girl smirked at the knowledge that she was right in her assumptions. Then another boy ran by the girl and knocked over a crate, which spilled in front of the girl.

Suddenly, the tunnel vision collapsed. Finna wasn't watching a girl anymore, she was the girl. Because only she would recognize that the small block of gray material was the main component in the bombs that she had been helping Synch produce for the last year. She grabbed as many as she could and then flipped open the top of the crate that had been under the crate with C4. _Yes! _In the crate were machine parts, some of which Finna recognized. Finna picked up the whole crate and started running. She got about 5 feet before she heaved the crate on the ground and starting chucking pieces out of it. It was too heavy for her. She threw 9 or 10 handfuls of small parts on the ground and then sealed up the crate again, pick it up and ran off.

When she reached the drop she set the crate down and slipped down the remaining four feet drop. As Finna turned around to grab the crate she saw it. The bloodbath was in full swing and as Finna turned she saw a boy get decapitated and his head flew 5 feet in the air before hitting another girl in the head, ironically enough.

Finna felt herself break into a cold sweat and grabbed her crate and fled into the unknown jungle. Only a few steps into the jungle she nearly pitched forward. Finna luckily caught herself and used the momentum from the near-fall to run a few more steps before stopping to catch her breath. _This terrain is too thick. I can't run. _Finna walked quickly away from the cornucopia, eyes on the ground; watching for roots, vines, and other plants.

Oliver Gauge:

Oliver ran towards the cornucopia, only to slow down after ten feet. Oliver's fear took hold of him and his feet became glued to the ground. _What am I doing? _His instinct took over and he bolted towards the cornucopia and grabbed a knapsack, and a wrapped blanket. He then turned and ran out of the circle of supplies. Upon running out he ran across the young 12-year-old boy Movium. Movium froze at the sight of the tall 17-year-old. His face showed that he had already accepted that his life was over even as Oliver flanked to the right and ran past the tribute to the end of the plateau. Upon reaching the plateau end he hoped down and started fighting through the vegetation. _Uh, these leaves are so thick. God does this forest ever get thinner? _

Oliver was soon in luck, after walking for an hour the dense vegetation on the forest floor gave way to plain dirt. Then slowly the dirt became lighter and lighter until Oliver looked down to be pleasantly surprised that his feet were in the sand. The thick trees overhead had also given way to giant palms. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Oliver reflected on how he never expected to hear those cannons in person.

He started talking aloud. "So, that means five down, and fifteen left." Oliver opened up his backpack and peered through the supplies inside. It appeared to him that he had hit the jackpot. Dried bags of fruit, iodine, an empty water bottle, a small knife for cutting up food, and sunscreen were dumped onto the sand and then reorganized into the bag. Oliver begin to contemplate his next move. He decided that the best thing to do would be to explore the arena more so he knew where he was going. He finally stuffed the blanket into the top of his backpack and walked off, under the tall palm trees.

Eventually he heard the caw of birds. He didn't recognize the sound put soon the sound of moving water reached his ears as well. He finally hit the tree line and when he emerged his jaw dropped. All he could see after the beach was endless water. So much water; he had heard of the ocean before but to him it was just a myth. Never had he imagined he would actually see one. Oliver just stood there, marveling at the endless blue water. He even sat down on the warm sand and stared at the birds above.

He did little for the next 2 hours besides apply sunscreen, take off his shoes, and move into the shade. He didn't even notice the boy sneaking up on him until the knife was held to his throat. And the boy slipped his left arm under Oliver's left arm into a hold.

"Don't move or I'll kill you!" The voice sounded terrified, not murderous, not bloodthirsty, but absolutely terrified.

"Please, please don't kill me."

"Why, what's stopping me? You know we have to do it!" The boy started sobbing. _Ok, I can do this. Maybe I can talk him out of it. Maybe I can convince him to let me go. _

"Come on man, don't do this. You don't want to kill me. You don't want to become a murderer." On the word murderer the boy sniffled and starting crying even harder. "Please bud, what's your name? We can talk this out."

"No!" The boy whimpered and then seemed to change his mind. "Noah. My name is Noah."

"Ok Noah, put the knife down so we can talk."

"Why? So you can kill me! Is that why? IS THAT WHY!" Noah's grip tightened around his throat and he stopped crying.

"Easy, easy, you don't want to become a murderer Noah."

"Well I don't know WHAT ELSE TO DO!" Noah screamed the last few words. "Am I supposed to be just put the knife down or throw it away in the sand!" On the last phrase he actually moved the knife away from Oliver's throat and Oliver took a chance. He moved his right hand on top of Noah's right hand and kept the knife pointing down to the sand. With his left he moved Noah's hand away from his throat and quickly stood into a standing position. Noah followed him into a standing position and the two boys begin struggling. Oliver was lucky that he was the older, stronger, taller competitor as the two boys struggled; Oliver quickly gained the upper hand. They were still in similar positions to when they had been sitting, Oliver was standing in front of Noah with his arms behind him holding Noah's hands. Finally, Oliver made he move; he jutted back his butt going into Noah's stomach, and as he did so bent over, then when he hit Noah he pulled Noah's arms forward and threw Noah over himself. Noah did a full flip and landed on his back, hard. Noah groaned at the impact, very surprised.

Oliver wasted no time; he turned, grabbed his backpack and ran back into the Palm trees. Only after finally running back onto the dirt he realized he had forgotten his shoes and socks with Noah. Oliver turned around and saw Noah already recovering and decided that he had to run, shoes or no shoes.

"Argh! Get back here!" Noah cried, as he started to chase him. Oliver continued to run, into the part of the arena that had thick vegetation. He stood there, wildly looking around as if a sign would appear with the words "escape sign." Finally he heard a bird call. He looked straight up and found a brightly colored bird with a very large colorful beak. _Up! That's it! _He walked over to the nearest tree and grabbed the lowest branch. He pulled himself up onto the bottom branch and immediately realized that having no shoes would cause him a good deal of pain. He then began to climb the next branch and the next one.

Oliver climbed 20 feet in the air when Noah walked below him. Noah never even knew anyone was right above him. When he moved on Oliver breathed a sigh or relief and finally sat down on the branch he was on, leaning his back up against the tree.

Oliver was safe, for now.

Finna Taulin:

Finna had a headache, she had one as soon as she starting playing engineer. Finna had set down her crate when she had reached a rock wall. Climbable, but would also be a good place to sit and only watch one direction as she opened her crate and begin to play with the mechanical components inside. She thought that assembling a bomb would be easy after watching Synch do it for so long.

Little did she realize that the technology in the crate could make many different creations, and Finna only knew how to make one type of C4 Explosive. She had spent the next 3 hours putting together 3 complete bombs and 2 that were almost done but she only had 3 of the certain parts so she wasn't sure if they were duds or actual bombs. She but the crate down with all the parts she hadn't used and loaded her bombs into her backpack. She put the detonators hooked onto her shorts in order to easily access them. Finna begin walking along the high rock wall, looking for a way to climb it. A high-pitched shriek scared Finna and she dropped to the ground and crawled towards the vegetation.

"No please! Please don't hurt me."

"I'm sorry but this is the way it has to be." The second voice sounded like it was convincing itself as well as the girl she was about to kill. Finna crawled through the underbrush, closer to the voices. She knew it was dangerous, but she wanted to see who it was. Finally, she could see through the leaves. She saw five people. Four of them had held weapons and had cornered the girl who had shrieked against a tree. She was now crying.

"Please…plplpl." She stuttered and then broke into a new round of sobs.

Colton the short 18-year-old mocked her. "Plplpl…shut up you little bitch." Though Colton looked confident and mocking the other three kids looked sick to their stomach as they watched the girls.

"Colton, Colton just end it. Please!" The older girl, Elekie, pleaded; she had been looking at the two younger tributes with both 18 year olds. They were the 13 year old Vellam, and the 14 year old Binary. Finna knew both of their names from the reaping. The girl being cornered was one of the girls whose name she didn't know. After seeing Colton cut open that poor girl, Plena, at the cornucopia she was deathly afraid of him and now begin to sweat. She bit her knuckles so she wouldn't cry out.

Colton turned and looked at the other three. "One of you kill her. You're the ones that need to kill her. Plus I already have three kills at the cornucopia. Come on, Elekie. Vellam." Vellam sniffled at being addressed and the young boy Binary spoke up.

"Stop it! Can't you see she's terrified? STOP IT!"

"You know twerp. I've had enough of your TALKING!" Colton spun around quickly and shoved his sword into the younger boys gut. Finna's gasp was luckily masked by the others screaming as well. BOOM! All four girls, both hidden and seen were crying. "Elekie. Elekie." The older girl was softly crying and holding the sobbing Vellam. "Kill HER! Do it OR I KILL YOU!" Elekie advanced on the girl. She recognized her from school.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Elekie hefted up her spear and jabbed it into the cornered girls chest. She pulled it out with a squelching noise. BOOM!

"Alright then, lets go." Colton led and the two girls hesitantly followed him both still crying. Finna stayed in the same spot for the next 15 minutes. She also realized that she had been biting down on her knuckle hard enough to draw blood. Finna finally found the courage to stand and found her legs were still shaking. _I…I need to get away from them. They want back towards the cornucopia, so I need to move. _She turned and apprehensively looked at the 20 feet of stone. _Well I guess I should find a place to start climbing. _

That night while still looking for a place to climb, Finna watched the Anthem light up the sky.

The first face was the girl she had watched bleed all over at the bloodbath, Plena. Two more girls, an 18 and a 14-year-old followed. Then, that poor girl Finna had watched the group corner earlier today. The first boy was Binary, the boy Finna had seen die earlier that day. Two more boys followed, probably bloodbaths, as that accounts for all of the cannons that day. Finna found a spot against the rock wall that was covered in shadow and settled down for the night.

The next day, and one cannon boom later, Finna had successfully climbed up the rock wall and was walking towards the north edge of the arena. Since her encounter with Colton and his group she hadn't seen or heard any other tributes and she was beginning to feel nervous. _Surely I'll run into someone eventually, I've haven't run into anyone in a while. I'm bound to. _Finna pushed through a particularly thick bush and found herself looking up in wonder. There were large gray stones scattered throughout the forest now. All had carvings in them, as if they were from an ancient civilization. Finna marveled at the size and beauty of them.

"I see someone! Up there!" A young girls voice sounded through the jungle and Finna turned. She saw Vellam's small head peaking around a large stone block. _No, NO! If she's here then so are they! _Finna turned and ran. She thought that she heard people chasing her but couldn't be sure. The plants were tough though and Finna almost stumbled many times, finally she reached a point where the plants stopped.

Her first thought was a cliff but looking down she saw that it was almost like an amphitheater, in that every five feet or so, the ground would descend another five eventually, after 7 steps leading to a cliff that went down to the body of water below. The "steps" of the amphitheater were made up of both ground and pieces of stone, like that Finna had seen earlier. From reading fairytales, Finna instantly knew what she saw. "An ocean." She marveled aloud. The she heard a voice behind her and quickly ran to the right. Finna moved away from the ruin steps so that she couldn't see them and the put down her backpack and pulled out one of the explosives she had made. She crouched, listening.

"Alright, alright where did she go!" Colton's voice rang out. _What an idiot, everyone in the arena will hear him. _Finna next heard murmuring from one of the girls with Colton. Then it sounded like they were hopping down the steps, towards the ocean. She decided to risk a look; she waddled through the underbrush slowly until she reached a point she could see. _What are they doing? It looks like they're creeping up on someone, but who? _Finally she saw it, the top of someone's head just slightly poking up from the bottom step. _Time to make my move then. _Finna dropped her backpack into the ground, then she snuck out onto the steps and slowly, quietly moving different grasses and plants from the ground on top of the C4 explosive. Finna turned around to see Colton approaching the last step. And slowly…she felt her heartbeat rise…as he peaked over the last step. Screaming, not just one person either.

Multiple kids jumped back who had been hiding under the ledge. From the distance it appeared to Finna to be two boys, and Dayta. _Sorry mam but it looks like I can't protect your daughter. _Finna quickly finished covering her bomb and then moved to the edge of the jungle to watch what would happen. It seems each of Colton, Elekie, and Vellam had each been closing in Movium, the small 12-year-old reaped, Dayta, and another 14 year old boy individually.

"AHH!" The first scream was from the 14 year-old who had quickly been stabbed by Elekie with her spear. He lied on the ground crying while he bled out. BOOM! Dayta, who was the same age as her pursuer, Vellam was fleeing in a very strategic way, she was winding and weaving up the steps to avoid Vellam's dagger. Elekie looked over and started making her way to Vellam to help. Colton meanwhile had shoved Movium to the ground, and was straddling him, his sword next to the boy's throat. _Why is he waiting? That monster he's mentally torturing the kid. Well it isn't my problem, it least its not me. _Dayta managed to make it up the step below the top one, where Finna had planted her bomb. Then two things happened at once. First, Elekie threw her spear at Dayta as she joined the fight, then Colton slit Movium's neck and the cannon sounded. BOOM!

Finna didn't know why, but she had an urge to help the girl. She had never thought about helping anyone before, especially in the games but for some reason she didn't want this girl to die.

Finna screamed out, "Dayta! Push Vellam run!" Dayta heard the voice and looked around for the source. In the chaos Vellam attacked her with her dagger and deeply cut her right arm. Finna cringed. Dayta bellowed at the pain but then shoved Vellam with her body weight and turned tell and ran up the last step and into the jungle. "Dayta over here!" Finna whispered in a voice loud enough to carry to Dayta. Finna pulled out the detonator as she watched Elekie catch Vellum and stand her straight up. _Why did I yell? I just saved some girl. God dammit Finna! _She had never helped anyone before unless there was some return to herself. Dayta arrived at her side, whimpering holding her cut arm. "Be quiet and close your eyes." Finna told her.

Finally, Elekie and Vellam regained their balance and climbed onto the step where the C4 was. Finna pressed the detonator button. A huge explosion occurred. The heat hit Finna like a wall, and the fire was nothing like she expected. She got thrown back in the explosion from the wall of air. BOOM! BOOM! She'd been helping Synch build bombs for a while but had never assumed that the bombs she had been building would cause this much damage. All Finna could see for a long time was fire, all she could feel was heat, and all she could hear was the ringing in her ears and Dayta's screams.

Finna moved forward through the jungle and onto the top step, and what she saw she would never forget.

* * *

**Ok! Sorry for the day late update, but this a was a the longest chapter yet so it took some time! FanFiction was also being unresponsive for about half the day so I couldn't update my story.**

**THE BLOG IS FINALLY UP! The link to it is on my profile! Check it out! It will be updated as I publish chapters. If you look know for instance you will see that Finna know has 2 kills, well Oliver still has 0. This chapter was actually a lot of fun to write. **

**Funny story is that the amphitheater of ruins actually came from a dream I had a few nights ago where I dreamed a Hunger Games? But I woke up and was like ok that was a weird dream but I like it so it's going in the arena!**

**As always thanks to my reviewers who take their time to review. I love you guys! And thank you to my lurkers! **

**Hope that you all enjoyed this chapter.**


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